Landmark Press Freedom Case in Paraguay: When Gender Protection Laws Were Used for Media Censorship

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A retweet about corruption in Paraguay’s Social Security Institute sparked a legal battle that tested the limits between gender protection laws and press freedom.

A significant legal battle in Paraguay has drawn international attention by highlighting the tension between women’s protection laws and press freedom. The case, known as Zuni Mousques vs. Christian Chena, began on January 12, 2024, when a Paraguayan court attempted to silence media reports on alleged corruption using gender-based violence legislation.

The Origin of the Conflict: A Retweet That Sparked Controversy

The controversy started when Christian Chena, a well-known businessman, shared a retweet on Twitter that included a video denouncing alleged irregularities at Paraguay’s Social Security Institute (IPS). The video mentioned Gisele Zuni Mousques, the wife of then-IPS president Darío Filártiga, as allegedly participating in corrupt procurement schemes. According to the report, Mousques was nicknamed “Madame 20%” for supposedly receiving kickbacks from government contracts.