Paraguay has formally adopted a defence framework with the United States regulating the temporary presence of American military personnel in the country, a move that follows Washington’s evolving geopolitical strategy in Latin America.

The agreement, known as the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), was approved on March 10 by Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies with 53 votes in favour, eight against and four abstentions before being promulgated by President Santiago Peña. Peña signed the measure shortly after the congressional vote, while attending the inauguration of Chilean president José Antonio Kast and alongside US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

The treaty establishes a legal framework allowing US military personnel and contractors to operate temporarily in Paraguay for training exercises, technical assistance, disaster response and humanitarian operations. It also grants them legal protections and exemptions comparable to those established under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Paraguayan authorities have presented the accord primarily as a security instrument. Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano argued that the framework strengthens bilateral cooperation against transnational organised crime and terrorism, stressing that it does not authorise permanent US military bases or any territorial concessions.

Supporters within the ruling right-wing Colorado Party have framed the agreement as a strategic necessity. Congressman Juan Manuel Añazco said Paraguay lacks the capacity to independently confront threats such as narcotrafficking networks, cyber-attacks and terrorism, describing cooperation with Washington as an “obligation” that provides access to advanced security expertise, according to Infobae.

The legal provisions granting immunity to US personnel have nevertheless provoked strong criticism. Independent legislator Raúl Benítez warned that sovereignty “is not lost overnight but gradually weakened each time a country accepts exceptions to its own laws”, while Liberal deputy Billy Vaesken argued the arrangement could expose sensitive information about Paraguay’s natural resources, including aquifers and strategic minerals such as lithium and uranium, according to Infobae.

The agreement also fits within a broader regional strategy emerging from Washington as the Trump administration pursues a strategy reminiscent of the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which sees the Western Hemisphere as exclusive zone of influence of the US. On March 7, President Donald Trump unveiled the “Shield of the Americas”, a hemispheric security architecture designed to coordinate military cooperation and counter-narcotics operations across Latin America. The initiative’s operational core is the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, which US officials say includes military representatives from 17 countries, among them Paraguay. President Santiago Peña attended the summit where the plan was introduced at Trump National Doral Miami, underscoring Asunción’s alignment with Washington’s emerging regional security framework.

Presented as a campaign against organised crime, the initiative reflects a wider strategic logic. The Trump administration increasingly frames transnational criminal networks as both a domestic security threat and a geopolitical challenge, particularly amid concerns about China’s expanding economic footprint in Latin America. Trade between China and the region reached approximately $518bn in 2024, while Chinese lending to regional governments has exceeded $120bn, according to figures cited by the BBC.

Within that framework, bilateral agreements such as the Paraguay SOFA serve to standardise operational rules and deepen military coordination among governments aligned with the White House. By expanding defence partnerships while building smaller coalitions of politically compatible states, the United States is attempting to reshape hemispheric security cooperation and reinforce its strategic presence in a region increasingly contested by rival powers.