My lawyer has gone crazy. Also - entering Paraguay in COVID Pandemic - Paraguay forum

My lawyer has gone crazy. Also - entering Paraguay in COVID Pandemic

13POSTS

5 years ago

Yes, my current immigration lawyer sent me an email saying he has had mental problems, has been unable to work and that I should send him some money. I sent him $350. Now he no longer answers emails.

Last year I was stranded in Ecuador by Covid travel restrictions. This lawyer said my cedula would be revoked if I stayed here for a year and a day - one year limit. Is this true? He said I should send him $900. So I sent him $900, and he said my cedula would be OK.

In January 2021 he sent me surprise papers showing a forgery of my signature and charges of fraud against me in Paraguay. He said he could straighten it out for $2500. I sent him $2500. He claimed then to have two people in jail - one who forged my signature and another jailed in Buenos Aires for selling my signature and limited personal information.

I have not been in Paraguay since 2016. I intended to return much sooner but am recovering from a long illness in Ecuador. Now I must return by next summer to renew my cedula, which I very highly value - I really like Paraguay, the freedom, the pace of life, the general attitude.

I recently contacted the U.S. embassy in Asuncion. They say that (1) there are no charges against me in Paraguay and (2) my cedula is OK.

I need some positive advice:
I need a lawyer whom I can trust and who answers emails.
I need to know if there are any problems entering Paraguay in the Covid pandemic. Will I need a vaccine injection record? Will I be quarantined?

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Sally Romero Active member

34POSTS

5 years ago

I'm so sorry to hear this happened to you. Sadly, many lawyers here scam foreign citizens because of their lack of knowledge regarding Paraguayan laws or processes.

I'm an immigration lawyer with 9 years of experience leading the immigration practice at a major law firm in Paraguay, with presence in several other latinamerican countries. And I started my own law firm last year along with a colleague.聽

Answering your query, the only requirement right now to enter Paraguay is to have a negative Covid test done within 72 hours prior entering the country (ARN: RT-PCR, NAAT o NAAT). You do not need to quarantine nor have your vaccine record.

Do you have your cedula or does your lawyer have it? I'll leave you my contact info in a private message.

paulopereirra ViP

1322POSTS

5 years ago

Tranquilo
Its a national hobby to squize foreigners.
Move on.

SanMarcos Member

13POSTS

5 years ago

It may not be as big a scam as might appear. The papers incriminating me of forgery I believe to be genuine. I sent them to Policia Nacional to find out. After two months they replied, "We send you our warmest greetings. Goodbye." The note closed with the most beautiful ornate signature covering half a full page with lovely swirls and ornaments worthy of Picasso.

**I think now there is no such rule for an American staying in a third country more than a year. Can anyone give a definitive answer?

I have cedula and Admicion Permanente; he has Registrar Extranjero.

I am not interested in suing anyone, and I think the charges against me were real but have been cleared. I even strongly suspect that a hotel desk clerk in Ecuador sold my signature and info to Internet criminals who committed an online fraud in my name. My official address in Paraguay is my lawyer's law office, and that's why he received the charges against me.

I think most likely my lawyer really is crazy. He is also fired.
I know it is legally safe for me to return to Paraguay to renew my cedula. I have until August 2022.

Thank you one and all for your comments.

Sally Romero Active member

34POSTS

5 years ago

Regarding your query, there is not such rule regarding staying in another country for over a year. The only 'rule' that may be a concern is that Law No. 978/96 (Immigration Law) states that foreign citizens who are absent from Paraguay for three years in a row, will lose their permanent resident status. However, in my experience, the immigration authorities do not have a way to enforce this to this day. But nonetheless, I always recommend my clients to enter Paraguay at least once within a period of three years.

paulopereirra ViP

1322POSTS

5 years ago

A routine check via passport stamps will serve and constitute evidence of non compliance to maintain聽 residency status.

Need help with immigration or administrative procedures in Paraguay?

Get in touch with an immigration lawyer

Sally Romero Active member

34POSTS

5 years ago

Foreign citizens with permanent residence and cedula are not required to enter Paraguay with their passports. However, the immigration office has a report that is called "migratory movement report" which allows them to see how many times you entered and exited Paraguayan territory, but they need to verify this on a case-by-case basis if they were to enforce that rule and revoke all permanent residence permits granted to citizens who have already been away for more than three years, and they don't have the human work force to do that.

In Paraguay, if the authorities have something on you is often because someone else wants you to have problems and charge you to "fix" it. The authorities do not have the capacity to investigate things on their own. And it is what many lawyers do, they create problems for their clients and charge a fee to "solve" them or shove them under the rug.

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