PARAGUAY · SCHOOLS
Key Facts
- The halt School meals stop on Monday 9 November 2026 in San Pedro, Central, Presidente Hayes and Asunción.
- The cause Teachers’ unions are striking over pension money tied to the collapsed Ueno Bank and education funding.
- The politics Paraguay’s Senate removed President Santiago Peña on Friday 6 November; Pedro Alliana became president.
- What next Union leaders meet President Alliana at 11:30 on Monday; classes should resume Tuesday 10 November.
- Power Index Paraguay ranks 10th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 35.0 points (November 2026 edition).
Paraguay’s school-meals programme, Hambre Cero (“Zero Hunger”), is suspended on Monday 9 November 2026 in four parts of the country because teachers are on strike. In San Pedro department the halt covers even schools that keep classes running.
The strike is a new fallout from a political crisis that peaked with the Senate removing President Santiago Peña on Friday 6 November 2026. Teachers want the state to guarantee pension money linked to Ueno Bank, a Paraguayan lender whose collapse set off the crisis.
Where Meals Stop
Hambre Cero is the government’s school-meals programme, which supplies food to public schools through contracted suppliers. The governor’s office in San Pedro, one of Paraguay’s departments (provinces), said in a circular dated Saturday 7 November that no school food will be supplied or delivered there on Monday.
The circular covers every school in the programme, even those that keep classes going, and it does not mention later days. On Sunday 8 November the Ministry of Social Development announced the same step for Asunción, the surrounding Central department and Presidente Hayes department.
Minister Tadeo Rojas ordered the step, the ministry said, to protect public money and avoid wasted food when pupils stay home. San Pedro’s circular was addressed to the suppliers and to the heads of schools.
Why Teachers Are Striking
The strike is backed by Paraguay’s main teachers’ unions, including the Federation of Educators of Paraguay (FEP), the National Union of Educators (UNE) and two teachers’ unions called OTEP. The Sinadi union of school directors has also joined.
They want the state to guarantee public and pension money after Ueno Bank’s collapse, including the return of US$60 million to the Caja Fiscal, the pension fund for public employees such as teachers, and US$350 million to IPS, the state social-security institute. They also want more investment in education in the 2027 national budget.
FEP president Silvio Piris says the unions will propose a special law that puts the recovery of retirement money first. Classes are, in principle, expected to resume on Tuesday 10 November.
The Political Backdrop
On Friday 6 November 2026 Paraguay’s Senate voted unanimously, with one senator absent, to remove President Santiago Peña for poor performance of his duties after Ueno Bank’s collapse. Pedro Alliana was sworn in as president the same day.
For background, see our explainers on the Ueno Bank case and on why Paraguay removed Peña. Our guide to the key players shows who now holds power.
What It Means for You
Families and expatriates in the affected areas should expect no school lunch service on Monday 9 November, and the unions have called a halt to classes in public schools. Visitors to Asunción may meet demonstrations, because the unions plan to gather in the city’s Plaza de las Armas and in departmental capitals.
For investors in Paraguayan assets, the unions’ demands put the Ueno Bank fallout on the public-finance agenda. Our Paraguay coverage hub tracks the story.
What Is Not Known
How many children go without a meal on Monday is not known, and neither is whether other departments will suspend the programme. At least one governor is also reported to be weighing whether to continue Hambre Cero at all given the financial crisis.
It is unclear whether the unions will end the strike after meeting Alliana at 11:30 on Monday. How the new government will respond to the unions’ proposal for a special pension law is not yet public.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Hambre Cero suspended in Paraguay on Monday?
Teachers’ unions called a national strike for Monday 9 November 2026. Officials say they halted school meals to protect public money and avoid wasting food.
Which areas are affected by the school-meals halt?
San Pedro department, the capital Asunción, Central department and Presidente Hayes department are confirmed. No other area had been confirmed at the time of writing.
When do Paraguayan schools reopen?
Classes are, in principle, expected to resume on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Union leaders meet President Pedro Alliana on Monday.
Sources: Governor’s Office of San Pedro (Gobernación de San Pedro), circular on school meals, 7 November 2026; Ministry of Social Development of Paraguay (MDS), communiqué on school meals, 8 November 2026; statements of the Federation of Educators of Paraguay (FEP), the National Union of Educators (UNE-SN), the OTEP teachers’ unions and the Sinadi school-directors’ union, 6 to 8 November 2026; Senate of Paraguay, session of 6 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error