Paraguay's Minister of Interior, Enrique Riera, ruled out on Monday (18) the possibility of resigning to retake his seat in the Senate, as speculated within the Honor Colorado movement. In a statement to the press, Riera said he speaks daily with President Santiago Peña and that the tasks assigned are short, medium, and long term, indicating that there is no presidential intention for him to return to the Legislature.
“I believe, as I once said, that when the river sounds, it carries stones. But I've heard it so many times that I almost ignore it. Apparently, there are people who want me to leave the Ministry or who want me to go to the Senate. But I talk to the president every day, and all the tasks he gives me are short, medium, and long term. Therefore, I don't see that he has much intention for me to return,” Riera declared after a press conference at the Mburuvicha Róga Palace.
Riera was elected senator for the National Republican Association (ANR) in the 2023 general elections but took leave from the Upper House in August of the same year to assume the Ministry of Interior. Besides him, two other senators from Honor Colorado are also on leave to hold executive positions: Juan Carlos Baruja (Urban Planning, Housing and Environment) and Carlos Giménez (Agriculture and Livestock). Meanwhile, Paraguayan ambassador to the United States, Gustavo Leite, announced he will resign from his diplomatic post at the end of July to retake his Senate seat.
Regarding the internal municipal elections scheduled for June 7, Riera stated that President Peña asked him not to politicize the ministry. “I cannot throw myself to one side, although obviously we have candidates. We will support Camilo Pérez in Asunción and all official candidates across the country. But I receive everyone. I receive dissidents, I receive official Colorado members, I receive opponents. The Ministry of Interior has a very delicate task. Security has no colors, so they haven't even seen a photo of me at any event,” he explained.