Paraguay's Congress President Basilio 'Bachi' Núñez declared that the sentence against former senator Erico Galeano and the pretrial detention order at the Centro Nacional de Prevenidos (formerly Tacumbú) dismantle the narrative that the judiciary is controlled by cartismo. 'This demolishes the narrative of a cartist-controlled judiciary. For the sectors that say the judiciary is run by cartismo, here is another example,' Núñez said before the legislative session on Wednesday.
The senator highlighted that while some politicians accumulate dozens of complaints and run for president, others are in prison. Asked about alleged U.S. pressure in the case, Núñez replied that Paraguay is a sovereign country and that the justice system has done its job. He also praised Galeano for not appealing the first-instance conviction, which allowed for quick confirmation by the court, although the sentence has not yet become final.
Meanwhile, the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) opened an administrative proceeding against former senator Javier 'Chaqueñito' Vera for failing to submit his sworn declaration of assets and income within the legal 15-day period after his removal. Vera attributed the delay to the stress of the expulsion process and said he is being advised to regularize the situation. Armindo Torres, director of Sworn Declarations at the CGR, explained that the fine is now calculated based on the employee's salary—in this case, the senator's salary of about 32 million guaraníes—and can range from 20% to 100%, with a progressive increase per day of delay. Former senators Erico Galeano and Hernán Rivas, who also lost their seats, must submit their declarations to avoid the same penalty.
In the Colorado Party's internal race for the Asunción mayoralty, pre-candidate Camilo Pérez (Honor Colorado) accused the dissident faction, led by Senator Lilian Samaniego and her brother Arnaldo Samaniego, of trying to 'muddy the waters' with untimely requests for an audit of voting machines. Pérez stated that the process is transparent and that official audits took place from February 1 to 27, with participation open to all parties. The minister of the Superior Electoral Court (TSJE), Jaime Bestard, confirmed that the institution will keep its doors open to clarify technical questions but was emphatic that the electoral schedule will not be changed.