“Catalysts for Change: Voices from TAP-EDM Partnerships” Series
In Paraguay, short-term technical assistance through the TAP-EDM initiative supported the Anti-Corruption and Money Laundering Unit (UDEA) of the Public Ministry in strengthening its institutional capacities. With guidance from Canadian experts, UDEA developed new tools, improved case management, and enhanced inter-institutional collaboration. In this series, project partners reflect on how tailored expertise helped advance their goals. The TAP program is funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Alinea International.
Background
In 2024, Paraguay ranked 149th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Although this study does not measure actual corruption, it reflects the public perception of corruption in the country. The Specialized Unit for Economic Crimes and Anti-Corruption (UDEA) is a division of Paraguay’s Public Ministry that focuses on investigating and prosecuting individuals who commit criminal acts that harm the assets of public institutions. These crimes include fraud, breach of trust, self-serving administration, influence peddling, illicit enrichment, money laundering, tax evasion, bribery, and passive bribery.
From 2022 to 2025, the TAP-EDM project, supported by a Canadian expert, helped UDEA strengthen the capacities of its staff to conduct anti-corruption investigations and procedures through the use of new tools. Two consecutive programs were implemented, which included training and coaching for prosecutors and investigators, along with the development of five action plans focused on key issues for the Unit. As part of this process, the UDEA team created working groups to develop these action plans and support their implementation and learning across the Public Ministry. We had the opportunity to speak with Dr. María Soledad Machuca, Deputy Prosecutor of UDEA, who shared her story with us.
Dr. Maria Soledad Machuca’s Story
Maria Soledad was involved from the start and had the chance to co-design the objectives and expected results of both initiatives. This collaborative process allowed UDEA and the TAP team to identify what Canada and Paraguay had in common, which served as a starting point for the work that would continue over the next few years. Reflecting on her experience, she shared:
“I really liked the way Alinea carried out the whole process from the concrete work on the objectives and expected results, as well as the selection of the expert who would be able to develop these topics.”
One major outcome was improving inter-institutional collaboration. Previously, UDEA operated more in isolation, but the initiative helped break down barriers with other public agencies.
“The first change that took place in me, and I believe in the whole team, was to break that barrier of working as if we were disconnected from other agencies,” Maria Soledad shared.
This shift led to a more coordinated approach to investigations and public service. She also explained that to fight corruption, money laundering and all types of criminality, it is necessary to have the knowledge and expertise of all relevant institutions to communicate efficiently. This realization resulted in one of the action plans being dedicated to interinstitutional cooperation, to continue this work to address barriers to communication and efficiency.
Another significant result was related to a different action plan: the case triage and classification system and tools. Before these initiatives, UDEA was used to handling every case that came in, even when it was unlikely to reach a satisfactory conclusion due to a lack of evidence, technical capacity, or budget. This led to a backlog of cases and a waste of both financial and human resources. Thanks to the TAP-EDM initiatives, it became clear that if UDEA wanted to truly influence case management, it needed to establish a triage system to identify cases that should be addressed differently. María Soledad explained:
“I can even tell you that within the Public Ministry team, there were prosecutors and officials from other specialized units who said, ‘This is exactly what we needed!’ The triage system had been a gap in UDEA’s procedures and processes, and by establishing this system, the team can now prioritize more effectively the cases that have a higher chance of reaching a successful conclusion.”
There are five action plans and accompanying working groups, and these working groups are continuing to move forward to develop tools and coordination protocols across the five focus areas. Next steps include validating the strategic plan (which includes the action plans) and beginning the implementation of the new tools, protocols and methodologies that will support the UDEA to continue to be more efficient and effective well into the future.
Conclusion
For María Soledad, the results achieved with the support of TAP-EDM have helped her fulfill a long-held dream: strengthening the institutional framework of her Unit through a collaborative initiative involving all those engaged in investigative processes. This was a weakness that she had identified early on, and she knew that the UDEA could benefit from tools, methodologies and best practices that would allow her unit to move forward. She is very optimistic:
“I believe that UDEA is going to have very positive results. And I want to clarify that it is not that UDEA did not have results before, but that through the support of these initiatives, the management is going to be much more fruitful. We have identified the priorities; we have identified how we can get there; and through inter-institutional coordination and internal collaboration, we are on a path to excellence.”