The president of Paraguay's Congress, Basilio "Bachi" Núñez, is the most sought-after Judas Kái effigy among Market 4 vendors in Asunción for this year's San Juan celebrations.
Congreso de Paraguay
Pytagua coverage mentioning Congreso de Paraguay.
Paraguay's Supreme Court rejected former Senator Kattya González's appeal, upholding the loss of her Senate seat and ending her judicial bid to return to the upper house.
Senator José Oviedo, of the Yo Creo movement, warned of the risk of misuse of public resources and political exploitation of the law declaring a national road safety emergency in Paraguay, criticizing the lack of clarity in the text and the fact that its one-year duration coincides with the electoral calendar.
The commuter rail project in Asunción is being challenged by engineer Guillermo López Flores, who argues that the initiative constitutes a 30-year hidden sovereign debt, financed by annual government subsidies, with the Guaranteed Minimum Revenue mechanism ensuring minimum revenue for the Special Purpose Company responsible for building and operating the system.
Liberal Senator Celeste Amarilla stated that there are other politicians with a profile similar to that of convicted former senator Erico Galeano, but she does not yet have evidence to denounce them publicly. The remarks reignite debate over organized crime's influence on politics and campaign financing in Paraguay.
The lack of quorum at the start of the Senate's regular session forced a new extraordinary session, sparking protests from opposition members who demand sanctions for colleagues who arrive late. Senator Walter Kobilansky proposed fines, but the Senate president stated that the rules do not provide for penalties for tardiness.
The pretrial detention of former Colorado senator Erico Galeano, sentenced to 13 years for money laundering and criminal association in Operation A Ultranza Py, marks a symbolic turning point in Paraguay's political system, historically marked by selective impunity and protection of influential figures.
Javier 'Chaqueñito' Vera, former Paraguayan senator, failed to submit his asset declaration within the legal 15-day period after being removed from Congress. The Comptroller General's Office has opened an administrative proceeding that could result in a fine of up to 100% of his senator salary, about 32 million guaraníes. Vera justified the delay as a consequence of the stress of expulsion and said he 'will have to sell his body' to pay the penalty.
Paraguay's Congress President Basilio "Bachi" Núñez faces a new complaint for allegedly favoring his niece, whose salary rose from G. 4.5 million to G. 9.5 million in less than two years. The accusation includes self-dealing.
The Paraguayan Senate's regular session, scheduled for 9 a.m., lacked a quorum, leading to an extraordinary session with less room for debate. Senator Walter Kobilansky (National Crusade) proposed fines or restrictions for lawmakers who arrive late, while the President of Congress stated that the rules do not provide for financial penalties.
Paraguay's Congress President Basilio 'Bachi' Núñez stated that the conviction and pretrial detention of former senator Erico Galeano dismantle the narrative that the judiciary is controlled by cartismo. The statement comes amid other political developments, including an administrative proceeding against former senator Javier 'Chaqueñito' Vera for failing to file an asset declaration and an internal dispute in the Colorado Party over the Asunción mayoralty.
The president of the Superior Electoral Justice Tribunal (TSJE), Jorge Bogarín, stated that criticism of the voting machines aims to discredit the Paraguayan electoral system, weeks before the simultaneous internal party elections on June 7. Bogarín defended the transparency of the mechanism, implemented since 2021, and attributed the questions to an intention to weaken the model established by Law 6318/2019. Colorado senator Lilian Samaniego reiterated the request for an audit of the machines to the ANR.
ANR proxy Eduardo González responded to Senator Lilian Samaniego that the audit of voting machines has already been carried out at the TSJE for all parties. Meanwhile, the National Congress, under the leadership of Basilio Núñez, begins an internal audit of university diplomas of employees, an initiative of Senator Eduardo Nakayama.
Amid the geopolitical dispute between China, Taiwan, and the United States, Paraguay has become a stage for intense diplomatic and economic pressure. Businesspeople, legislators, and political sectors push for a potential shift in relations toward Beijing, while Taiwan tries to maintain the historic alliance.
Senator Esperanza Martínez denounces resistance from the ruling party to the creation of a special commission to investigate up to 2,500 suspected university degrees, following the scandal of former senator Hernán Rivas that exposed a possible fraud network that may have benefited public office holders, including within the justice system.
The president of Paraguay's Congress, Basilio 'Bachi' Núñez, stated that the country should adopt runoff voting and presidential reelection, advocating for a constitutional reform. He also proposed a 'double unblocking' system for electoral lists and criticized calls for a new audit of voting machines.
Liberal senator Celeste Amarilla harshly criticized the reliability of the electronic voting system and the open-list model, warning of possible fraud in internal elections and advocating a return to closed lists.
President Santiago Peña called for judicial cases involving legislators to be treated with the same criteria, regardless of party, while commenting on the situations of former senators Erico Galeano and Hernán Rivas. He also supported the work of ANEAES in reviewing university degrees.
The president of the Paraguayan Congress, Basilio "Bachi" Núñez, defended the reliability of electronic voting machines and opened the door for an audit of academic degrees and employee bonuses, amid criticism from the opposition.
The president of the Paraguayan Congress, Basilio "Bachi" Núñez, expressed support for opposition Senator Eduardo Nakayama's proposal to audit all public employees who obtained benefits with suspected university degrees. The initiative follows scandals involving former Colorado Party senators Hernán Rivas and Erico Galeano, and aims to combat corruption and influence peddling in the public sector.
Dissident Colorado deputy Roberto González (ANR-Añeteté) accused fellow Cartists, their satellites, and liberals functional to HC of preventing interventions in municipalities with mayors suspected of corruption, degrading the image of the National Congress. He cited the case of former senator Hernán Rivas, who reached the presidency of the Jurado de Enjuiciamiento de Magistrados with a fake degree, and other mayors who have been prosecuted or convicted.
TSJE Minister Jorge Bogarín González stated there is a campaign of hatred and discredit against the voting machines, which have been used in previous elections without issues. The opposition and dissident Colorados request an audit, but the TSJE says it has already been carried out.
Senator Celeste Amarilla (PLRA) strongly criticized the Senate Board for dedicating time to symbolic projects, such as declaring the 'National Day of Vori Vori', while the country faces a public health crisis, lack of medicines, and corruption allegations, especially at the Institute of Social Welfare (IPS).