“In conversation with the President of the Republic, I shared the opinion with Mr. Juan José Galeano, thus covering the political and legal aspects in case it is approved, given the relevance of the family involved”. The phrase, which reads as an open confession of submission to political power, belongs to José “José’i” González Maldonado, then legal director of Social Security Institute (IPS).
The former senior official boasted of his direct line with Santiago Peña before the pension’s Board of Directors – theoretically, the highest authority of the institution. It occurred on July 30, 2024, as established irrefutably in the minutes No. 054/2024.
González Maldonado’s shocking revelation was recorded in the item 48 of the agenda, a debate that was handled under a cloak of total secrecy and took place just when the official internet transmission was cut off and the Council expressly discussed the million-dollar payment proposal from the Sudamericano Hotel Consortium SA, represented by Jorge López Moreira.
“On tables CA No. 1426/2024 Proposal to approve the approval of the extrajudicial agreement before a judicial instance with the Consorcio Hotelero Sudamericano SA,” reads verbatim the official document to which ABC had access.
The minutes detail that González Maldonado entered the session escorted by the external legal advisor Marco Colmánwith the exclusive objective of defending the scope of the millionaire benefit granted to the private firm. In his presentation, the then legal director let slip another striking fact by informing the Council that he had a dialogue with “Dr. Riera” (without specifying his name), “who told him that several lawyers have been calling in relation to this trial” (sic).
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Despite the obvious conflict of interest, González Maldonado pushed to close the proposal immediately, alleging the excessive delay of the judicial processes. “The proposed amount is G. 7,500,000,000, of which 5% would be allocated to the payment of professional fees related to the trial,” concluded the former legal director, practically operating as a lobbyist for the counterparty before the Council itself.
The numbers behind the agreement show the million-dollar damage to the IPS coffers. Until the date of the proposal, the real debt of the hotel consortium exceeded G. 10,000 millioncorresponding to non-compliance carried over since November 2018 after losing a lawsuit against the pension. To this huge amount, an identical figure needed to be added for accumulated arrears from December of that year until the date of the agreement.
However, in a drastic pruning of the debt, the IPS – then chaired by Jorge Brítez – agreed to collect only G. 5,557 million for the principal capital accumulated until November 2018, while the remaining G. 1,942 million were loosely computed as compensatory interest, forgiving a fortune along the way.
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The “armor” to the maneuver
To dispel any doubts on the part of the Council and force approval of the bailout, González Maldonado resorted to his strongest card. He cited the name of the current highest authority in the country. He reported that the payment would be executed immediately (within one to two days after signing) and went on to detail his conversation with the President of the Republic, Santiago Pena.
González Maldonado admitted that he delivered the opinion to Juan José Galeano, economic advisor to the Presidency of the Republic, with the explicit purpose of shielding the “political and legal” points of the operation, justifying the exceptional nature of the maneuver in the “relevance of the family involved.” The reference pointed directly to the López Moreira-Bo family, closely linked to former president Mario Abdo Benítez.
Once the behind-the-scenes pact was consummated, the proposal was approved silently and remained hidden from public light until March of this year. The IPS ended up agreeing in 2024 for a total of G. 7,500 million, adding others G. 412,500,000 (including VAT) intended exclusively for professional fees. In total, the transaction closed at G. 7,912,500,000.
The millionaire loot of G. 412 million in fees was collected entirely by González Maldonado himself. In an attempt to launder incomethe lawyer recorded this figure in an affidavit filed in 2025.
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However, after the scandal was uncovered, it was discovered that multiple legal professionals were involved in the litigation and that the then legal director made a discretionary and arbitrary distribution of the money, deliberately omitting to detail this distribution before the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR).
Cornered by these suspicious financial movements, added to an explosive and unjustified asset growth that came to public view, González Maldonado was forced to present his resignation from his position at IPS.
The case immediately escalated to Public Ministrywhich ordered the opening of a criminal investigation against him to determine the scope of an alleged network of corruption and influence peddling that now directly affects the Presidency of the Republic.
