Less than three weeks before the simultaneous internal elections of the Colorado Party, scheduled for June 7, the dispute for the mayoral candidacy of Asunción escalated. The pre-candidate of the Honor Colorado movement, Camilo Pérez, accused the dissidence led by Senator Lilian Samaniego and her brother, pre-candidate Arnaldo Samaniego, of trying to 'dirty the field' because they do not have favorable numbers at the polls.
“Since they don’t have the numbers (the opposition and the Colorado dissidents), they have to try to dirty the field a bit. The process is absolutely transparent and is in plain sight,” said Pérez in an interview with GEN.
The conflict originated from the demand by Lilian Samaniego, a reference of the Causa Republicana movement, who in recent days requested a new technical audit of the voting machines of the Superior Court of Electoral Justice (TSJE), questioning the transparency of the election. The official audits, however, were conducted between February 1 and 27, with open participation for all parties and movements.
Eduardo González, director of the Office of the Board of Government of the ANR, stated that the senator was repeatedly invited to the party technical meetings and did not attend any. TSJE minister Jaime Bestard confirmed that the institution will keep its doors open to clarify technical doubts in a two-day session, but was categorical in stating that the electoral calendar will not be altered. The internal elections remain set for June 7 and the municipal elections for October 4.
Pérez warned about the risk of modifying the deadlines: “Given the deadlines, it’s no longer possible. If the electoral calendar is modified, the Colorado Party will be left without a candidate for the municipal elections. There’s no way. Why now, three weeks away, and not before?”
The pre-candidate confirmed that he will not accept participating in further political debates and will maintain the strategy of walks and direct meetings with residents of Asunción neighborhoods, supported by the structure of movement leaders. “A winning team doesn’t change,” he highlighted.
The Honor Colorado movement issued a statement rejecting the possibility of suspending the electoral schedule and defending the transparency of the voting machine system, arguing that the deadlines are peremptory and non-extendable.