Under the motto “Let’s clean our Costanera,” the Embassy of Taiwan and the Municipality of Asunción organized a major environmental cleanup drive at Asunción Bay on Sunday morning. About 230 participants – including members of the diplomatic mission, technical mission staff, students from the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University, former scholarship holders, professionals trained on the Asian island, and Taiwanese residents – gathered at the Costanera beach and the mouth of the stream, exposing the serious state of the waterways and the persistent urban disregard for waste.
Taiwan’s Ambassador, Iván Lee, stated that his country believes health also means having clean environments, sustainable cities, and citizens committed to caring for their surroundings. He emphasized that the drive was not limited to cleaning a public space, but rather to demonstrating that joint work builds health, awareness, and solidarity. Lee added that while the world debates global health challenges, Taiwan remains willing to share its experiences, technological capabilities, and cooperation schemes with the international community.
The event strategically coincided with the Asian country’s global demand for its inclusion as an observer member in the World Health Assembly, the highest body of the World Health Organization (WHO), from which it is excluded due to political pressure exerted by China. Authorities from the diplomatic delegation noted that this exclusion affects global health coordination, emphasizing that access to health and environmental preservation are universal causes that should not be limited by diplomatic barriers.
With logistical support from the Municipality of Asunción, which provided specific materials for beach cleaning, the volunteers – equipped with protection kits and refreshments – removed a significant amount of plastic waste, bags, and highly polluting materials that affected the coastal strip. The organizers thanked the support and reiterated that shared interventions like this help show that when a territory can contribute technical knowledge and public health prevention, the entire international community benefits.