Paso Yobai

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Coordinates: 25°40′48″S 55°55′48″W / -25.68, -55.93
Paso Yobai
Paso Yobai
Country	Paraguay
Department	Guairá
Population (2008)
- Total	1,875

Paso Yobai is a town in the center of southern Paraguay. It is also a district that goes by the same name, the easternmost district in the Department of Guairá. Paso Yobai was founded in the year 1923 by French settler Jorge Naville. It is historically known for its high quality yerba mate. There are several brands of yerba mate produced in the district, including Labrador, Aromatica and Oro Verde. The district is also known for its production of sugar cane and cotton, although soybean production has also increased in recent years.

Presently Paso Yobai is most known for its gold mining operations. There are several small scale mining operations. The Canadian company, Latin American Minerals, Inc., bought Minas Paraguayas in 2007 and made a legal arrangement with the Paraguayan government. They believe that Paso Yobai may contain one of the largest deposits of gold in the world. The discovery of gold has increased prosperity in Paso Yobai but has also created environmental problems, most notably mercury contamination in the Gasory Creek.

Paso Yobai has produced a famous harpist, Enrique Samaniego, who died in 2005.

The present Mayor of Paso Yobai in 2007 is Sindulfo Diaz, a member of the Colorado Party (Paraguay). He succeeds former Liberal Party mayors Luis Dure and Petrona Cardozo.

In the 2004 census, the district of Paso Yobai had around 23,000 people and the town itself contained slightly more than 2000 people, although many believe these figures are somewhat low. The only other large town in the district is Mangrullo with a population roughly equal to that of Paso Yobai.