Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla (PLRA) launched harsh criticism during the meeting of the Senate Board, questioning the fact that Congress dedicates time to projects she classified as 'stupid', such as declaring the 'National Day of Vori Vori', while the country faces a public health crisis, lack of medicines, corruption allegations, and problems at the Institute of Social Welfare (IPS).
'While the country sinks into poverty, lack of medicines, corruption, we are dealing with the day of vori,' declared Amarilla, visibly irritated, during the internal debate of the Upper House.
The bill proposing to declare August 22 as the 'National Day of Vori Vori' will be analyzed in the ordinary session on Wednesday and already has half approval from the Chamber of Deputies. The initiative was signed by deputies Rocío Abed, Cristina Villalba, Rodrigo Gamarra, and Jazmín Narváez, from the cartismo faction, as well as deputy Luis Federico Franco (PLRA).
The legislator stated that she does not want to look 'bad' before the citizenry while Parliament debates topics she considers irrelevant in the face of the national crisis. 'I urge senators and deputies to stop wasting time with nonsense, to stop marking with a stamp the nonsense they send us to deal with. This is truly shameful,' she fired.
According to her, this type of initiative should be handled by the National Secretariat of Culture and not occupy space in legislative sessions where there are urgent priorities related to health, economy, and education. The senator also questioned that the 'Day of Vori Vori' project was debated even in the Education Committee, amid the scandal of the sale of fake university degrees.
Amarilla recalled that she attended a meeting of the Education Committee because of the case of fake degrees and was surprised to see that the date for celebrating the typical Paraguayan dish was being analyzed. 'While the country was collapsing with fake degrees, you were forced to deal with whether the day of vori would be in May or August. What an absurdity,' she questioned.
The legislator added that there are other similar proposals, such as declaring the 'Day of the Virgin of Caacupé', which, in her opinion, reflects a disconnect of Congress from the true needs of the citizenry.
The President of Congress, Basilio Núñez, responded that he will speak with the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Raúl Latorre, although he also pointed to liberal deputy Luis Federico Franco as the author of the initiative. 'I will talk to Latorre, but I also urge you, senator, to talk to deputy Luis Federico Franco, who is the author of the project,' said Núñez.
In turn, liberal-cartista senator Dionisio Amarilla mocked the topic and suggested that someone talk to the liberal legislator to stop this type of proposal.