The Federation of Production, Industry and Commerce (Feprinco) withdrew its support for José Emilio Argaña as a board member of the Social Insurance Institute (IPS), representing the employer sector. In a statement to radio 780 AM, the president of Feprinco and of the Paraguayan Industrial Union (UIP), Enrique Duarte, said that Argaña's continued presence is unsustainable and that the guild no longer feels represented.
Duarte criticized Argaña's management, especially for requesting a 15-day leave with full pay, and pointed to a lack of internal transparency. According to him, Feprinco sent a formal note to the board member asking why he learned about critical IPS matters through the press, rather than through direct channels. The breaking point was learning, also through the media, that Argaña had submitted his resignation before the appointment of Isaías Fretes as president of the Board of Directors.
Another point of friction was Argaña's statement that he answered only to the productive sector, when in practice he represents the entire employer sector. Given the situation, Feprinco sent letters expressing full support for President Fretes's decision to renew. “We directly support, by letter, saying that we are fully aligned with his decision to renew,” Duarte concluded.