Key Developments
On 13 June 2026, the Department of State said Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, reaffirming the U.S.-Paraguay strategic partnership and discussing economic growth, regional security, and advanced digital infrastructure, with support from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and the Export-Import Bank.
Key Statistics
- 18 months of intensified U.S.-Paraguay partnership activity referenced in the State Department readout
Main Body
On 13 June 2026, the Department of State said Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Paraguayan President Santiago Peña to reaffirm the U.S.-Paraguay strategic partnership. According to the readout, the two discussed collaboration on economic growth, regional security cooperation, and development of advanced digital infrastructure, with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and the Export-Import Bank involved in supporting these initiatives.
The Department of State outlined that the engagement focused on leveraging U.S. development finance and export credit tools to advance secure digital infrastructure and related economic projects. The statement said these efforts were part of collaborative work intended to bolster Paraguay’s growth while reinforcing cooperation on regional security priorities.
This meeting followed earlier planning for the engagement. On 10 June 2026, the Department of State announced Secretary Rubio’s travel to Los Angeles, where he would lead the U.S. delegation to the first FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Paraguay and meet President Peña to discuss the strategic partnership. Regionally, on 9 June 2026, the Department of State said Rubio discussed halting illegal immigration, combating fentanyl trafficking, and dismantling cartels with Mexican Foreign Secretary Roberto Velasco.
Taken together, these announcements indicated sustained U.S. engagement on regional security coordination and economic development, with the Paraguay meeting highlighting planned use of U.S. financing tools to support digital infrastructure and growth, according to the Department of State.
