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.
Honor Colorado
Movimiento político dentro del Partido Colorado en Paraguay.
The Honor Colorado movement, led by pre-candidate for mayor of Asunción, Camilo Pérez, rejected the request for an audit of voting machines made by Senator Lilian Samaniego and her brother Arnaldo, classifying the demand as an attempt to destabilize the electoral process three weeks before the Colorado internal elections.
Presidential pre-candidate Arnoldo Wiens, from the Colorado Añetete movement, attacked sectors of cartismo during a rally in Villarrica, accusing them of remaining "bolted to power" and using public office for personal gain. He also questioned the government's economic management and recalled the narrative of the "true colorados," amid the internal dispute of the ANR.
Paraguay's Minister of Interior, Enrique Riera, denied rumors that he would return to the Senate, stating that President Santiago Peña asked him to remain in office. Riera also commented on the upcoming internal municipal elections and the ministry's stance of party neutrality.
The chief of staff of the ANR, Eduardo González, stated that Senator Lilian Samaniego requested the postponement of the Colorado Party's internal elections, but she denies the accusation and demands an audit of the voting machines. The TEP guarantees that the audit will be carried out without altering the calendar.
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 visited the restoration works of Avelino Martínez Avenue in San Lorenzo alongside Mayor Felipe Salomón and Senator Óscar Salomón, a gesture of political backing during the electoral pre-campaign. The project, executed by EDB Construções, had a final cost of G. 242.7 billion, with an overrun of G. 87.6 billion, justified by the Ministry of Public Works as price updates and work complexity. The visit occurs amid a strong internal dispute in the ANR, where Salomón seeks reelection against Édgar López, supported by Horacio Cartes. Engineer Enrique Díaz Benza, owner of the construction company, suggested renaming the avenue to General Andrés Rodríguez, but Peña said the decision lies with the population.
President Santiago Peña, during an event in San Lorenzo, asked the media to treat corruption cases involving opposition members and those of fellow Colorado Party members, such as Erico Galeano and Hernán Rivas, with the same rigor. Peña avoided detailing the proceedings and highlighted the role of ANEAES in controlling university degrees.
President Santiago Peña acknowledged knowing Juan Roberto 'Jimmy' Villaverde, identified as an operator of a network of pages that attack journalists and opponents, but denied that he works for the government or has an office at Mburuvicha Róga. Public records show Villaverde managed Peña and Alliana's social media during the campaign and held public positions.
The pre-campaign for municipal elections in San Lorenzo, Paraguay, is marked by an intense internal dispute within the Colorado Party, with two groups from the Honor Colorado movement running for mayor. On one side, current mayor Felipe Salomão seeks reelection; on the other, Édgar López, president of Seccional N°2, tries to consolidate his candidacy with strong financial investment and support from political figures such as Horacio Cartes and Hugo Velázquez. The liberal opposition is also mobilizing, with articulations among different forces to define a single candidacy.
Lists of employees at the binational hydroelectric plant reveal that at least 109 people earn more than President Santiago Peña, including relatives of influential politicians.