My Paraguay 🇵🇾 Visit + Internationalisation Updates.

My plan is to keep you informed as I go – breaking tax ties & life in South America: my latest visit to Paraguay & Congress.

I’ve returned to Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 for work commitments after some time in Asunción.

Despite what I say or tweet, Buenos Aires is still my favorite city in Latin America.

In Asunción, I was flat out with my new part-time role at Pampa Metals, so I didn’t get to do as much as I’d hoped—mostly parked up at El Café de Aca in Villa Morra, answering emails and handling Canadian private placement subscription forms.

It’s always great slipping over from Buenos Aires—just a cheap 90-minute flight, residency card in hand, and the cost of living/bang for your buck is unbeatable in today’s world. Airbnb is cheap, the food (steak and sushi) is excellent, the gyms are top-notch, and you can find just about anything in large shopping centres at the best prices in South America.

Late nights at El Café de Aca, Villa Morra, Asunción.

With all that said, I did manage to catch up with a like-minded expat in Asunción

Ben

, sign a tax document to fast-track everything, check out some great nightlife spots (not indicating by who until the end), eat incredible steak, and train at the best gym I’ve come across in South America.

I also had the chance to tour the Paraguay Congress with Eduardo Nakayama—an independent senator in Paraguayan politics.

How did this come about? For those interested, it traces back to the Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown series on CNN. One of my favourite episodes is his Paraguay visit, where Eduardo features in a dinner with Bourdain after uncovering Bourdain’s family ties to Paraguay through his French ancestry. Eduardo is also a historian and deeply passionate about his country.

It still blows my mind where posting on social media can take an unimportant bogan Australian. Eduardo even gifted me an epic signed book on the history of Paraguayan beef (pictured below).

Eduardo’s office in the Paraguayan Congress building, Asunción—note that epic map in the background, drawn by early Spanish conquistadors.

I’ll share some of the facts I learned about Paraguayan politics from talking to expats, locals, and Eduardo in this article (behind the paywall). This will be completely unfiltered, and you’ll see exactly why I’ve chosen to put it there. Scroll to the end of the article if you’re interested.

When I arrive in Asunción I feel as if it offers a rare mix of anonymity and freedom—it’s incredibly safe, and as a foreigner, you get the sense that the government won’t interfere in your affairs (ever). Despite its low tourism profile, it ticks all the boxes for a high-quality life abroad.

Vill Morra, Asunción.

The purpose of this article is to run through the progress I’ve made on internationalisation.

I’d say I’m about 70% through the entire bureaucratic process of setting up a truly legal, tax-free lifestyle.

After numerous phone calls to my broker in Australia and a deep dive into optimising my banking setup to avoid the hefty spending fees that seem to come with banks linked to a US LLC, I’ve come up with a plan.

It’s way more cost-effective, but it does come with a calculated risk. I’ll break it all down here—what I’ve come up with and the trade-offs involved.