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An opportunity that doesn't present itself every day and that, if not properly understood, could vanish due to sheer misunderstanding. We're talking about the efficient use of energy. It's not just about cables, turbines, and generation: topics that, although they increasingly occupy more space in public discussions, seem to generate more confusion than understanding. Talking about energy means talking about power, development, and economic sovereignty. It means stopping exporting wealth at a marginal price and starting to build a country that plays a leading role in the global digital revolution.

For decades, we have traded our energy surpluses at ridiculously low prices. Energy that could have generated industry, jobs, and technology simply crossed the border. Today, that can change. The emergence of industries like Bitcoin mining and energy-intensive data centers has opened a door that didn't exist before: the possibility of transforming electricity into economic development, without intermediaries, without external dependence, without asking permission. The inauguration of the Valenzuela substation stands as the most significant electrical infrastructure project of the last three decades, allowing Paraguay to distribute its energy more efficiently.

Bitcoin mining is a deeply technical activity, but easy to understand if explained well. Imagine thousands of computers programmed for a single task: finding a secret combination that allows them to validate a block of transactions and receive a reward. That reward isn't infinite: 450 bitcoins a day globally, distributed among all participants in this race. And here lies the first big mistake many make: thinking that if you double your investment, you'll double your profits. That's not the case. Because there's only one pie. The more diners join the table, the smaller the slice each person gets.

So, why continue investing in this industry? Because Paraguay has something that many countries don't: available, clean, and abundant energy. Today, the mining centers that operate with ANDE collectively pay more than a million dollars a day for energy use. How much does that same energy leave when sold to Brazil? One-third. That difference isn't insignificant: it means more local investment, more jobs, more infrastructure, more taxes, more country. The only ones who can welcome the sale of our energy abroad are the same countries that buy it. Energy is progress; it's what allowed major economies to advance more than a century and a half ago. Producing something so valuable to export as a raw material is a lack of self-respect.

But this goes beyond Bitcoin. Because while data centers for artificial intelligence have other requirements—advanced cooling, minimal latency, high-capacity connectivity, and redundancy—it's also true that Paraguay can already offer infrastructure for training language models, machine learning, and deep learning. It's not science fiction. It's a real possibility, one that international companies are already observing with interest.

And what have we done so far? More than 900 MW of previously undersold energy were recovered, global giants such as MARATHON, BITFARMS, and HIVE were attracted, more than 1,000 well-paying jobs were created, and ANDE went from marginal revenue to receiving nearly USD 290 million annually thanks to the digital asset mining industry alone. And this is just the beginning. If a national strategy is developed—with good connectivity, legal certainty, incentives for private generation, and competitive off-peak rates—that figure could climb to USD 1 billion annually in less than three years.

In a global race for energy, doubt or indecision can result in a country with all the potential being excluded from the circuit. There are those who still don't understand that this is no small game. We're talking about energy and technological sovereignty. We must leave behind the extortionate arguments about how much our neighbors are willing to pay for our energy. We have the capacity to stop being a country that exports raw materials at cost price and become one that adds value from the first volt.

The question is simple:
Do we continue to give away the power to build the future to our neighbors, or are we going to build it with our own hands and for our people?
Because when energy stays at home, progress also stays at home.
We must decide whether we want to transform the country's economic matrix or whether we will continue producing raw materials so that others, higher up the value chain, reap the greatest benefits from the fruits of our labor.

Excuses run out when all the cards are on the table.