The Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies rejected a bill that would have eliminated bonuses for high-ranking officials until 2026 in order to allocate the funds to public health, following a debate that highlighted the contrast between these benefits and the minimum wage.
Honor Colorado
Pytagua coverage mentioning Honor Colorado.
The public endorsement of former President Mario Abdo Benítez for the Colorado Party candidate Camilo Pérez in Asunción, formalizing the party alliance, has generated both internal celebration and strong criticism from party factions, such as from Senator Yamil Esgaib, who called him a "traitor."
After a six-month absence, Senator Carlos Núñez returned to the Honor Colorado movement, a decision made following a meeting with the president of the ANR and leader of the movement, Horacio Cartes.
The president of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, presented his third annual report to the Colorado Party, facing criticism from the opposition, which questions the priority given to the party over Congress.
A disinformation network linked to the government of Santiago Peña, operated by the digital agency Comunik, led by Juan "Jimmy" Villaverde and Fabio Morales, moved around half a million dollars through fake news pages and digital influencers to spread pro-government content, promote government policies, and attack opponents.
President Santiago Peña will present his third management report to the ANR Governing Board on Wednesday, June 17, before appearing before the National Congress on July 1, as mandated by the Constitution. This report is a key step in political accountability in Paraguay, reflecting the relationship between the president and his party, the ANR, with implications for political stability and policy direction in the country.
The Honor Colorado movement, led by former President Horacio Cartes, won in 239 of the 263 districts in the Colorado Party's internal elections, consolidating its hegemony and securing representation in the vast majority of municipalities for the October 4 elections, with a voter turnout of 48.3%.
Camilo Pérez, of the Honor Colorado movement, won by a wide margin the ANR internal elections held on Sunday, June 7, obtaining 78,137 votes against 41,770 for Arnaldo Samaniego, and will be the Colorado Party's candidate for the Asunción mayoralty in the October municipal elections.
Basilio Núñez, president of the Paraguayan Congress, criticized a possible smear campaign funded by Santiago Peña’s government against journalists and opponents, involving the agency Digimarketing SAS and connections with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies. The case highlights concerns about political governance and internal party dynamics in Paraguay, with potential implications for regional stability.
During Basilio Bachi Núñez's tenure at the National Congress, two officials — Catherine Larissa Benítez Pascottini, a prospective city council candidate in Ñemby for the Honor Colorado movement, and Adilson Sosa, the son of a Villa Hayes city councilor — were hired and promoted with significant salary increases within just a few months, prompting allegations of influence peddling and waste of public resources.
Lambaré is facing a severe urban crisis with destroyed streets and flooded neighborhoods, as candidates from different parties gear up for the June 7 municipal elections amid accusations and widespread public discontent.
Construction of a Community Mental Health and Addictions Center in the Pacucuá neighborhood of Encarnación, funded by the Yacyretá Binational Entity on land ceded by the ANR to the Ministry of Health, is being presented as an initiative of Honor Colorado mayoral pre-candidate Sebastián Remezowski during the electoral period.
Interior Minister Enrique Riera said President Santiago Peña did not criticize former senator Erico Galeano, convicted of drug trafficking, to preserve governability. Riera argued that questioning members of Honor Colorado would have blocked key projects, such as creating the Ministry of Economy and approving the budget.
The Cartist majority in Paraguay's Chamber of Deputies rejected yet another request for information on the allocation of teaching positions in the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC), amid accusations of political favoritism. Deputy Johanna Ortega called Minister Luis Fernando Ramírez 'useless, a puppet' and a defender of politicians.
The attorney for the Colorado Añetete movement, Cecilia Pérez, stated that the supposed audit of the voting machines was actually just a technical presentation, and that the Cartismo faction itself acknowledges flaws by supporting new audits.
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.
The Superior Electoral Court (TSJE) of Paraguay reaffirmed that internal party elections will take place on June 7, according to the original calendar. Despite requests for review, the court is willing to hold up to two days of technical clarifications on the voting machines, which already underwent an audit in February with participation from parties and international observers.
Deputies from the Colorado Party, both from the dissident faction and the government base, reject the suspension of the internal elections scheduled for June 7. While they support a new audit of the voting machines, provided it is conducted by the Electoral Justice, they criticize calls for postponement and accuse the opposition of trying to disrupt the process.
Raúl Latorre, president of Paraguay's Chamber of Deputies, spoke against suspending internal elections of the Colorado Party and defended the use of voting machines as essential for the open-list system.
The president of the Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay, Raúl Latorre, ruled out on Tuesday the possibility of postponing the internal elections of the Colorado Party, scheduled for June 7, and called for greater responsibility from lawmakers to avoid lack of quorum in sessions.
The Tripartite Command, a security alliance among Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina, marked 30 years with a ceremony in Ciudad del Este. The temporary presidency was handed over to Argentina. Deputy Commissioner Fabio Santa Cruz highlighted modernization and effectiveness in combating transnational crime.
Congress President Basilio Núñez responded to Senator Lilian Samaniego's criticism regarding the audit of electronic voting machines, stating that the process was carried out according to schedule and that the opposition had the opportunity to participate. Núñez also recalled that Samaniego, when she chaired the ANR, appointed people she trusted, and defended confidence in the TSJE.
Senator Derlis Maidana (Honor Colorado) called on the political class to support institutions and downplayed the delay in the technical audit of voting machines, while dissident Senator Lilian Samaniego (Causa Republicana) denounced failures in the schedule and lack of transparency.
President Santiago Peña and Vice President Pedro Alliana have asked Horacio Cartes to consider a new candidacy for the presidency of the Colorado Party in 2028, according to the general agent of the ANR, Eduardo González Báez. The request was made during a meeting of the Honor Colorado Command at the former president's residence.