The United States and Paraguay on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on strategic civil nuclear cooperation.
The memorandum creates the space for the United States to assist Paraguay in its development of civil nuclear energy projects, ensuring the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and non-proliferation.
The agreement was signed between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano at the Department of State. Speaking at the singing ceremony, Rubio and Ramírez Lezcano shared remarks in both English and Spanish.
Sec. Rubio emphasized that the memorandum marks another step in the continued growth of the relationship between the United States and Paraguay — noting that such agreements further institutionalize the deep ties between the two nations.
“The relationship between both countries has grown on a historic scale and today’s agreement is simply evidence of that,” Sec. Rubio said in Spanish. “What we are aiming for is to establish a relationship that not only continues to grow, but that also becomes part of something permanent, so that regardless of the changes in government that may occur in the future, for example, in our system we see changes every four or eight years.”
Foreign Minister Ramírez Lezcano said in English that the shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and rule of law allow both nations to work very closely together. Speaking in Spanish, the Paraguayan minister stressed that due to the United States’ foreign policy under Sec. Rubio, Paraguay can have a “shared vision” and build the best relationship that both countries have had in their history.
The MOU signed by the United States and Paraguay is reportedly within the framework of the “123 Agreements” named after Section 123 of the 1954 Atomic Energy Act. Such agreements provide a foundation for long-term strategic civil nuclear partnerships.
Paraguay is one of the world’s biggest electricity exporters through its production of hydroelectric energy. Presently, Paraguay relies entirely on its hydroelectric power plants to cover its own internal energy consumption. However, a study published this year by Paraguay’s nuclear authority warned that the country is experiencing a rapid rise in its internal energy consumption. Projections reportedly indicate that the South American country may use all of the energy that it is currently producing between 2030 and 2035.
As such, the administration of conservative President Santiago Peña has explored ways to diversify the country’s energy generation — including the use of clean nuclear energy. Between late June and early July, Paraguayan government officials met with Rafael Grossi, the head of the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and presented Paraguay’s nuclear energy roadmap.
Per the local newspaper ABC, Paraguay’s nuclear authority is evaluating two nuclear power plant alternatives — Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) that generate around 300 megawatts each, or micro-reactors with an output of up to 30 megawatts. Jorge Molina, the head of the Paraguayan nuclear authority, explained to ABC that micro-reactors are being considered as the most viable option for a faster implementation, and asserted that they could be operational in five years.
Molina said that SMRs, on the other hand, could take up to a decade to become operational, due to their limited availability and high demand, which would force Paraguay into a waitlist as “only around ten units are produced per year and there’s already dozens of orders.”
In addition to meeting with his Paraguayan counterpart and signing the civil nuclear cooperation memorandum, Rubio also met with Paraguayan Vice President Pedro Alliana on Tuesday. Rubio and Alliana discussed the deepening of both countries’ shared cooperation in the fight against transnational criminal organizations and terrorist threats.
Following the start of President Donald Trump’s second term in 2025, Paraguay’s conservative government has deepened the country’s friendly ties with the United States. In December, both Sec. Rubio and Foreign Minister Ramírez Lezcano signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) allowing the active presence of U.S. military and Department of War civilian personnel in Paraguay. The South American country is also one of the members of the U.S.-led Shield of the Americas regional counter-cartel coalition.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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