A senior Paraguayan government official has been tricked into signing a “proclamation” with representatives of a fictional country led by a fugitive who claims to have x-ray vision and the ability to stop sunrises.
Arnaldo Chamorro, chief of staff at Paraguay’s Agriculture Ministry, told reporters Thursday that he had been fired from his job after signing the Oct. 16 memorandum with alleged “United States of Kailasa” officials presented to him. like a South American island.
Kailasa is the creation of a self-proclaimed guru, Nithyananda Paramashivam, accused of being a scammer wanted in India on several charges, including sexual assault and child abduction, according to the BBC.
He is believed to have fled that country in 2019 and his current whereabouts are unknown.
The document signed by both parties, complete with ministry letterhead and official seal, included a greeting from Chamorro to “the honorable Nithyananda Paramashivam, sovereign of the United States of Kailasa.”
Chamorro also praised Paramashivam for his “contributions to Hinduism, humanity and the Republic of Paraguay.”
It went on to recommend that the “government of Paraguay actively explore the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States of Kailasa and support its admission as a sovereign State before various international bodies, including the United Nations,” according to a copy of the agreement. posted on social media.
“They [the “officials”] He came and expressed his desire to help Paraguay. They presented several projects, we listened to them and that’s it,” Chamorro later said, acknowledging that he had been deceived.
A senior Paraguayan government official was tricked into signing a “proclamation” with representatives of a fictitious country. Nathalia Aguilar/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Chamorro said that the false officials also met with his minister Carlos Giménez.
In a statement, the Ministry of Agriculture attributed the error to “procedural errors” and said that the memorandum “cannot be considered official” nor does it confer any obligation on the State of Paraguay.
On the Kailasa website, the fictional country is described as the “rebirth of the ancient nation of enlightened Hindu civilization that is being revived by displaced Hindus from around the world.”
The site claims there are two billion practicing Hindus as part of the country’s population, which has its own flag, central bank and passport.
Earlier this year, Kailasa representatives participated in two United Nations committee meetings in Geneva and also signed agreements with local leaders in the United States and Canada, according to media reports.
Arnaldo Chamorro, chief of staff at Paraguay’s Agriculture Ministry, told reporters Thursday that he had been fired from his job after signing the Oct. 16 memorandum with alleged officials of the “United States of Kailasa.” Martín Crespo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
In March, the Newark City Council in New Jersey acknowledged that it had been the victim of a similar scam when it signed a sister city agreement with Kailasa.
Paramashivam’s representatives are also believed to have misled several other officials in the South American country where he is wanted for several alleged crimes.
Paramashivam, a self-proclaimed “godman”, is known for preaching on traditional Sanskrit texts and Hindu scriptures, including the Bhagavad Gita, and has also made many pseudoscientific and paranormal claims, such as having extrasensory perception and the ability to scan the body (essentially , X-ray vision).
According to the Daily Beast, he has a million followers and claims to be able to cure the blind (opening a mystical third eye) and stop sunrises.
His followers have reportedly said that he has performed blessings to help adults grow up to three inches taller.
Paramashivam was the subject of a 2022 Discovery+ documentary called “My Daughter Joined a Cult,” in which a former member proclaims, “This is a cult and I’ve been fooled.”
Other former members featured in the series allege that the group’s leaders took their children from them, and mothers can be seen standing outside what is said to be the Paramashivam ashram, shouting to be reunited with their children.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn