U.S. and Paraguay Ink Civil Nuclear Cooperation Pact

The United States and Paraguay signed a memorandum of understanding on civil nuclear cooperation, paving the way for U.S. assistance in Paraguay's nuclear energy projects.

In a ceremony at the State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano executed a memorandum of understanding for strategic civil nuclear cooperation. The pact, structured under the Section 123 provisions of the 1954 Atomic Energy Act, allows the United States to support Paraguay in developing civilian nuclear power while upholding safety and non-proliferation standards.

Paraguay, currently reliant on hydroelectric generation, faces a projected shortfall as internal consumption climbs, prompting the Peña administration to explore nuclear options such as 300-megawatt small modular reactors and up-to-30-megawatt micro-reactors. Nuclear authority head Jorge Molina highlighted micro-reactors as a quicker path, potentially operational within five years. Rubio also met with Vice President Pedro Alliana to deepen collaboration on combating transnational crime, following recent agreements that permit U.S. military and civilian personnel in Paraguay and the country’s participation in the Shield of the Americas coalition.