José Luis Rodríguez Robertti, president of the Juventud Colorada and director of Political Affairs for the Senate Presidency, multiplied his salary in Paraguay's Congress nearly 20 times over 13 years. He joined the Chamber of Deputies in 2012 as a contract employee with a monthly salary of 1.5 million guaranis. Currently, his Senate payroll shows a salary of 29,287,700 guaranis.
His growth accelerated significantly in recent years. In 2023, during deputy Raúl Latorre's presidency of the Lower House, he was appointed director of Document Management, a position that raised his salary to approximately 20 million guaranis. In July 2024, current Senate president Basilio "Bachi" Núñez appointed him to the position of director of Political Affairs for the Upper House Presidency.
Beyond his legislative role, Rodríguez Robertti also serves as a council member at the National University of Asunción (UNA), where he receives 1,717,400 guaranis monthly for his participation on the University Superior Council. Combined, these two public income sources total approximately 31 million guaranis per month.
This trajectory revives memory of a controversial statement by President Santiago Peña during the 2023 electoral campaign. At the time, Peña stated that "positions aren't obtained by having a wall full of degrees, but thanks to the Colorado Party." The phrase, delivered at an event in Ciudad del Este, was widely criticized for being interpreted as prioritizing party affiliation over professional qualifications for access to public office.
Rodríguez Robertti, who is a lawyer and court clerk, defended his promotions as the result of effort, training, and meritocracy, noting that he entered public service through competitive examination. Simultaneously, he consolidated his position within the Honor Colorado movement, serving as president of the ANR Youth Commission and actively participating in the campaign of Camilo Pérez, the Colorado candidate for mayor of Asunción.