Victor Luís Bernal Garay is a Paraguayan senator for the Colorado Party and the former director of the bi-national hydroelectric enterprise Itaipú. He is an accountant by profession. An official investigation of Bernal's finances began while he was at Itaipú and continued into his years in the Senate. An attempt was made to impeach him, and both he and his wife, María Elizabeth Pleva, spent years engaged in legal battles over charges of embezzlement.
CEO of Itaipú
Bernal was appointed Paraguayan director of Itaipú in September 2003. Itaipú, which is jointly owned by Brazil and Paraguay, describes itself as “the largest power producer in the world” and says that its mission is to “generate quality electricity via socially and environmentally responsible practices, and to foster sustainable economic, tourist, and technological development in Brazil and Paraguay.” Its energy source is the Itaipú Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric dam, which is located on the Paraná River on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The dam was named one of the seven wonders of the modern world in 1994 by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
During his tenure at Itaipú, under President Nicanor Duarte Frutos, Bernal was one of the most influential figures in Paraguayan politics.
Bernal relatives employed by Itaipú
Bernal's wife, María Elizabeth Pleva, served as assistant Paraguayan director of Itaipú under Bernal, and his brother Oscar was on the staff of Itaipú's Retirement and Pension Fund, a job that, according to the Paraguayan newspaper ABC, Itaipú, involved little or no work. His nephew Luis Benítez Bernal worked in Human Resources at Itaipú; a cousin, José Luis Bernal Sanabria, worked for Itaipú's Tesãi Foundation; another cousin, Nilda Garay Pereira, worked for Itaipú's pension fund, a job that was described by ABC as having “no known functions”; Luis Francisco Pereira Vigo, a nephew of Bernal's first wife, worked as an assistant to Bernal.
As of 2007, Bernal's son Hugo, who was in his twenties, was reportedly earning a high salary as an adviser at the U.S. Embassy in Paraguay, even though he was not a career diplomat, which is ordinarily a requirement for such positions.
Salary
During his time at Itaipú, Bernal earned a total of G 4,004,670,277 in salary, and his wife earned G 1,596,560,135. They also made G 1,000,000,000 from selling property.
Controversial lifestyle
Beginning on 9 September 2007, ABC ran a series of articles about the Bernal family. The first article, headlined “Pornographic display of wealth by Victor Bernal and his family,” began by listing several examples to illustrate the Bernal family's opulent lifestyle.
In the concluding article in the series, the "new 'royalty'" was said to have replaced the "old 'barons'". It was noted that Pleva enjoyed a “title and salary at Itaipú, plus a vehicle, driver, fuel, and bodyguards.”
In an October 2007 article about Bernal's acquisition of wealth and land, it was noted that his property and money were the result of "miraculous multiplication". On just two properties, Bernal had spent G 1,300 million, almost twice his annual salary of G 720 million.
Resignation
Bernal resigned from Itaipú in January 2008 to run for the Paraguayan senate, and was paid G 303,266,890 by Itaipú in compensation for his period of service. On 17 January, President Nicanor Duarte announced that Ramón Romero Roa would replace Bernal.
Senator
In the Paraguayan general election on 20 April 2008, Bernal was elected to the Senate.
Committees
In the Senate, Bernal has sat on the following permanent committees: Hacienda, Presupuesto y Cuentas - 2008-9, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13 Energía, Recursos Naturales, Población, Ambiente, Producción y Desarrollo Sostenible - 2008-9, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012-13 Economía, Cooperativismo, Desarrollo e Integración Económica Latinoamericana - 2009-10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012-13 Cuentas y Control de la Administración Financiera del Estado - 2011-12, 2012–13
He has sat on the following bicameral committee: C.Bicameral Encargada del Estudio del Presupuesto General de la Nación, Ejercicio Fiscal 2011, Fiscal 2012
Senatorial activities and related events
Bernal denounced the Ministries of Public Health, Agriculture, and Education in May 2012 for using their resources for political purposes.
A large group of young people gathered outside Bernal's home in June 2012 to protest his involvement in the impeachment of President Fernando Lugo.