Paraguayan minister resigns after signing agreement with fictitious nation

This bitter diplomatic faux pas occurred in October when the so-called representatives from the United States of Kailasa approached the Paraguayan government, proposed cooperation, and sought support to foster relations with world powers.

As reported by AP, the negotiations led to the Paraguayan government making numerous commitments. These included support for the United States of Kailasa on the global stage, as well as lobbying for its recognition as a sovereign and independent state in various international organizations, including the UN.

However, the United Nations does not acknowledge this self-proclaimed nation, despite the insistence of its representatives concerning its sovereignty. The United States of Kailasa was founded by Nithyananda, a controversial figure who proclaims himself to be a god.

Nithyananda, who faces charges of rape and kidnapping, fled from India in 2019. Speculations online concerning the existence of the United States of Kailasa followed soon after. Reports suggest Nithyananda purchased an island off the Ecuadorian coast and christened it "Kailasa", in homage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a site revered by Hindus.

Evidence claims, primarily found on official-looking websites and social media, portray Kailasa as the rebirth of an ancient enlightened Hindu civilization nation, rekindled by displaced Hindus from around the world.

This notorious Indian guru and his followers managed not only to deceive the Paraguayan official, but also other politicians across South America and even in the USA. In a similar incident in March, city council representatives in New Jersey confessed to being duped into also signing a cooperation agreement.

This revelation caused a scandal and invited a barrage of ridicule in Paraguay, spawning a flurry of memes on social media sites.

Paraguayan senior official, Arnaldo Chamorro, at the center of this controversy, admitted his mistake and resigned. In a radio interview, he confessed he didn’t know where Kailasa was situated. Chamorro stated that he agreed to the proposed arrangements because they purported to aid Paraguay in aspects such as irrigation.

The false announcement by followers of the self-proclaimed state of Kailasa reads, "We are pleased to announce that the United States of Kailasa, the ancient enlightened Hindu Civilizational nation, and First Sovereign state for Hindus, have established sister relations with Paraguay. This partnership is based on shared values like cultural understanding, religious freedom, promoting human rights, combating hunger, supporting youth leadership, and backing holistic health and education initiatives."