Paraguay chief of staff sacked over "United States of Kailasa" fiasco

In a bizarre turn of events, Paraguay finds itself entangled in a diplomatic embarrassment as a senior official, Arnaldo Chamorro, was ousted from his position as chief of staff to the agriculture minister after being duped into signing a cooperation memorandum with a fictitious country.

The so-called “United States of Kailasa” turned out to be a non-existent South American island presented by deceptive individuals, leading to Chamorro’s dismissal on Wednesday.

Chamorro, addressing the media on Thursday, admitted to being fooled, stating, “They (the ‘officials’) came and expressed a wish to help Paraguay.

They presented several projects, we listened to them and that was that.” The motive behind the elaborate ruse remains unclear.

Notably, the fraudulent officials managed to meet with Agriculture Minister Carlos Gimenez as well, raising questions about the thoroughness of the verification process within the government.

The memorandum, adorned with the ministry’s letterhead and official seal, envisioned the establishment of diplomatic ties between Paraguay and the non-existent nation.

In a surprising twist, the document included Chamorro’s praises for “the honorable Nithyananda Paramashivam, sovereign of the United States of Kailasa,” commending his alleged contributions to Hinduism, humanity, and the Republic of Paraguay.

Additionally, the memorandum urged the Paraguayan government to actively pursue diplomatic relations with the imaginary nation and support its admission as a sovereign state to international organizations, including the United Nations.

Local media in Paraguay reported that “Paramashivam” is, in reality, an Indian citizen wanted for crimes committed in his home country, adding a layer of complexity to the diplomatic fiasco.

In response, the agriculture ministry released a statement acknowledging “procedural errors” and clarified that the memorandum “cannot be considered official” and does not impose any obligations on the state of Paraguay.

The incident highlights the need for increased vigilance and verification processes within the Paraguayan government to prevent such embarrassing diplomatic blunders in the future.