Human Rights and Freedom in Paraguay

https://www.humantruth.info/paraguay_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2022

#human_rights #Paraguay #paraguay_human_rights #venezuela

Paraguay Republic of Paraguay [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	97th best
Capital	Asuncion
Land Area	397 300km²₁
Location	South America, The Americas
Population	7.0m₂
Life Expectancy	70.26yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$12 349 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	PY, PRY, 600₅
Internet Domain	.py₆
Currency	Guarani (PYG)₇
Telephone	+595₈

Paraguay does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Paraguay does the second-best for its nominal commitment to Human Rights₉. It does better than average in terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₁₀, LGBT equality in the 2020s₁₁, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₁₂ (but bad for The Americas), supporting press freedom₁₃ and in its average Freedom in the World rating (but high for The Americas). Along with 11 others, Paraguay signed the Lima Declaration in 2017, condemning "the assault on democratic order and the systematic violation of human rights in Venezuela"₁₄.

But, things still need to improve in Paraguay. Paraguay does worse than average when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₁₅, combatting modern slavery₁₆, opposing gender inequality₁₇ and in freethought₁₈. Human Rights in Paraguay are under sustained attack from Catholic lobby groups and traditionalist Christians supported by US Conservative Christians. In particular, they are succeeding in preventing women's rights, and have reversed some movements towards LGBT tolerance₁₉.

1. Paraguay's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #paraguay #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to The Americas (2025)₂₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₀
1	Canada	16.7
2	Uruguay	31.2
3	Costa Rica	38.8
	...
20	Honduras	79.4
21	Dominican Rep.	79.7
22	Colombia	80.7
23	Paraguay	83.7
24	St Vincent & Grenadines	84.8
25	Belize	86.3
26	St Lucia	90.3
27	Guyana	91.5
28	Dominica	92.0
	The Americas Avg	71.80
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₂₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₀
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
79	Seychelles	82.0
80	Thailand	83.0
81	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	83.5
82	Paraguay	83.7
83	Moldova	83.7
84	Tuvalu	83.8
85	St Vincent & Grenadines	84.8
86	Namibia	85.9
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₁. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₁.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₁, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₁.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Paraguay stated:

“Authorities continued to criminalize social protest. Investigations into cases of torture and other ill-treatment did not make progress. Forced evictions remained a serious problem, affecting the rights of thousands of small-scale farmers and Indigenous families. Authorities failed to take action to protect LGBTI people and human rights defenders. Sexual abuse of children and girls�€� forced pregnancies remained serious concerns.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₂

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₁₃
Pos.		2025₁₃
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
80	Botswana	57.64
81	Zambia	57.33
82	Niger	57.05
83	Paraguay	56.84
84	Thailand	56.72
85	Bosnia & Herzegovina	56.33
86	Argentina	56.14
87	Malaysia	56.09
	The Americas Avg	55.99
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Regarding supporting press freedom, Paraguay ranks 83rd in the world.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₂₃

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

Averages by decade for Paraguay (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Paraguay:	15.11	67.38
World Rank:	61st	⇣ 101st
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		Total Per 1000₁₆
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
89=	Malaysia	6.30
89=	Ethiopia	6.30
91=	Greece	6.40
91=	Paraguay	6.40
93=	Sri Lanka	6.50
93=	Gambia	6.50
93=	Oman	6.50
96=	Hungary	6.60
	The Americas Avg	5.84
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Paraguay is 91st in the world regarding combatting modern slavery.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and the poverty-stricken vulnerable.₂₄. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₅, Eritrea₂₅, Indonesia₂₆) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₂₅, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries₂₇.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Averages by decade for Paraguay (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Paraguay:	1.60	6.40
World Rank:	16th	⇣ 91st
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₁₂
Pos.		2014 Rank₁₂
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
74=	S. Africa	74
74=	Papua New Guinea	74
76	Nicaragua	76
77=	Paraguay	77
77=	Mexico	77
79=	Trinidad & Tobago	79
79=	Bhutan	79
79=	Benin	79
	The Americas Avg	72.4
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

In terms of supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, Paraguay comes 77th in the world.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]
The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”
"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)₂₈

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.4. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
85=	Bhutan	2.5
86=	Liberia	3.0
86=	Peru	3.0
86=	Paraguay	3.0
86=	Malawi	3.0
86=	Moldova	3.0
86=	Montenegro	3.0
86=	Macedonia	3.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Paraguay ranks 86th in the world regarding its average Freedom in the World rating.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Paraguay (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Paraguay:	5.1	5.1	3.4	3.2	3.0
World Rank:	95th	⇡ 92nd	⇣ 93rd	⇣ 99th	⇡ 95th
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.5. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₁₀
Pos.		2017 Score₁₀
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
33=	Gambia	2
33=	Liechtenstein	2
33=	Chile	2
36=	Paraguay	1
36=	Costa Rica	1
36=	Norway	1
36=	Panama	1
40=	Ukraine	0
	The Americas Avg	-0.8
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Paraguay comes 36th in the world with regard to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.6. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₉
Pos.		2009 Treaties₉
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
5=	Peru	23
5=	Spain	23
5=	Slovenia	23
5=	Paraguay	23
5=	Serbia	23
5=	Sweden	23
5=	Uruguay	23
14=	Italy	22
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Paraguay is 2nd-best in the world, after Argentina, in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.7. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₉
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₉
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
69	Greece	8.44
70	Kenya	8.58
71	Eritrea	8.66
72=	Paraguay	8.78
72=	Burkina Faso	8.78
74	Belize	8.88
75	Yemen	8.88
76	Japan	9.16
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Paraguay ranks 72nd in the world when it comes to speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

Paraguay has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

Abortion is too limited and only legal if pregnancy threatens the life of the mother₁₉. Many cities are even more restricted than required, with church representatives standing with celebrants each time a city declares its "pro-life" stance in the name of traditional family values₁₉.

See:

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₁₇
Pos.		2022₁₇
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
103	Guyana	0.42
104	Samoa	0.42
105	Bolivia	0.42
106	Paraguay	0.43
107	Dominican Rep.	0.44
108	Algeria	0.44
109	Morocco	0.44
110	Indonesia	0.44
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

With regard to opposing gender inequality, Paraguay ranks 106th in the world.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Averages by decade for Paraguay (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Paraguay:	0.59	0.52	0.45
World Rank:	83rd	⇣ 98th	⇣ 105th
World Avg:	0.44	0.41	0.37

3.2. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
130=	Mauritania	1961
130=	Burundi	1961
130=	Malawi	1961
130=	Paraguay	1961
130=	Sierra Leone	1961
135=	Zambia	1962
135=	Uganda	1962
135=	Monaco	1962
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Paraguay is positioned 128th in the world when it comes to the year from which women could participate in democracy.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2014 %₁₅
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
57	Nicaragua	34
58=	Romania	35
58=	Cameroon	35
58=	Paraguay	35
58=	Kenya	35
62=	Lithuania	36
62=	Guatemala	36
64=	France	37
	The Americas Avg	29.7
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Paraguay is positioned 59th in the world in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice.

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₃₀_,₃₁_,₃₂_,₃₃. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₃₄, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₃₅_,₃₆. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₇. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₈.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		Total Score₁₁
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
72=	Lesotho	0.89
72=	Seychelles	0.89
74	Botswana	0.88
75	Paraguay	0.84
76	Angola	0.83
77	Sao Tome & Principe	0.81
78=	Micronesia	0.80
78=	El Salvador	0.80
	The Americas Avg	0.41
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215.

Paraguay ranks 75th in the world in terms of LGBT equality in the 2020s.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₉. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws₄₀. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₄₁. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s₄₂_,₄₃. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

" LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

LGBT tolerance in is going backwards. Same-sex marriage remains illegal, the awful practice of 'conversion therapy' is too common. LGBT events face violence, including murder. There is no generic law prohibiting prejudice and discrimination.₁₉

“In 2017, Paraguay became the first country in the world to ban gender issues from school lessons due to the support of conservative Christian groups based in the US, such as Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). At the time of the ban, the then Minister for Education swore he would burn any books that contained so-called "gender ideology."”
"The Freedom of Thought Report" by Humanists International (2021)₁₉

A few years later, things had not improved, with homophobic paranoia ignited by religious fervour proving an immovable obstacle to progress..

“In December 2020, a draft National Plan for Childhood and Adolescence 2020-2024 - which sought to address sexual abuse, issues of violence, and the need for comprehensive sexuality education - was withdrawn for redrafting following statements made by members of the Catholic Church that argued that the Plan would promote the destruction of conservative family values.
It appears that groups opposed to the Plan particularly objected to the proposals around sex education, the teaching of sexuality with a gender lens, and issues surrounding sexual reproductive health. Conservative opponents appeared concerned that the use of the term "gender" was a means to introduce the "LGBTI+ agenda."”
"The Freedom of Thought Report" by Humanists International (2021)₁₉

In Paraguay historically, LGBT folk faced severe persecution, especially under the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989), most infamously during a mass arrest of 108 people in 1959, who were suspected of being homosexual, and were tortured. Thankfully, Paraguay began to modernize, and homosexuality has been legal since 1990, although the age of consent remains unequal and same�€`sex marriage and civil unions are constitutionally banned, adoption rights are denied, and ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Paraguay still had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇡ Supported the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights, tabled by Argentina.
⇡ In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
⇡ In 2025, voted to renew the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Averages by decade for Paraguay (for the ranks, lower is better):

LGBT Equality	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average	2020s Average
Paraguay:	-5.00	-5.00	-0.40	1.00	1.00	0.84
World Rank:	136th	⇣ 138th	⇡ 67th	⇡ 61st	⇣ 80th	⇡ 75th
World Avg:	-2.98	-2.87	-2.60	-2.15	-1.10	-1.21

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #Paraguay #religion #religion_in_Paraguay #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Although Paraguay's constitution states that "the State is independent of religion"₄₄, the Catholic Church is also named as a cooperative partner in Articles 24 and 89₁₉. Conservative Catholics have great influence over politics to the extent that they damage democracy and human rights, especially women's rights and LGBT tolerance. With support of US Christian organisations, they managed ban the teaching of tolerance in schools, with the Minister for Education swearing that he would "burn any books that contained so-called gender ideology"₁₉.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₁₈
Pos.		2021₁₈
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
107=	Finland	3.0
107=	Panama	3.0
109=	Philippines	3.3
109=	Paraguay	3.3
109=	Singapore	3.3
109=	Vanuatu	3.3
109=	Tajikistan	3.3
109=	Zambia	3.3
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

With respect to freethought, Paraguay ranks 109th in the world.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₄₅. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₆. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₄₇ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₈. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₉. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₁₈_,₅₀ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₁₈_,₅₁.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₅₂. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₆, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₅₃ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₅₄ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).

5. Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

The concept of Christian family values - often called simply traditional family values, is preventing the government, and society, from properly tackling a culture that has a dark side. Even where cases of abuse are clear-cut, in a country that doesn't take liberalism seriously, power and influence can grant effective immunity.

“In 2020, a court in San Lorenzo de Limpio dismissed charges against a Catholic priest accused of sexual harassment despite clear evidence, including his confession, to having groped her. The judges argued that for harassment to be proven there would have to be evidence that the priest was in a position of power over the Church´s Coordinator of its Youth Ministry, and that it was not just a one-off occurrence. The woman in question took the case to court after the archdiocese failed to investigate, instead emphasizing that the dignity of the priest must be safeguarded. In December, an appeals court overturned the ruling and ordered a new trial.”
"The Freedom of Thought Report" by Humanists International (2021)₁₉

Walking alongside is an even darker spectre:

“Cases of sexual abuse and exploitation of children are reportedly prevalent in Paraguay.
In December 2020, a draft National Plan for Childhood and Adolescence 2020-2024 - which sought to address sexual abuse, issues of violence, and the need for comprehensive sexuality education - was withdrawn for redrafting following statements made by members of the Catholic Church that argued that the Plan would promote the destruction of conservative family values.
It appears that groups opposed to the Plan particularly objected to the proposals around sex education, the teaching of sexuality with a gender lens, and issues surrounding sexual reproductive health. Conservative opponents appeared concerned that the use of the term "gender" was a means to introduce the "LGBTI+ agenda."”
"The Freedom of Thought Report" by Humanists International (2021)₁₉