Senator Rafael Filizzola of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) said the opposition would not support any possible impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court of Justice justices if the initiative sought to remove judges considered independent.
“Here they want to cut off the heads of those who do not bow their heads and do not fall into line,” Filizzola said while commenting on rumors about changes to the court’s composition. He said two or three justices had been mentioned, along with Attorney General Emiliano Rolón and members of the Electoral Justice system, as part of a possible joint action.
The statements reflect the senator’s assessment and do not confirm that a formal impeachment proposal or an official list of authorities to be removed exists. Filizzola said there was political interest in promoting changes, but questioned whether the groups discussing the measure could gather enough votes to move forward.
“The Court needs to do a better job. We all agree on that,” he said. In Filizzola’s view, Paraguay’s justice system requires deep reforms, but any removal should be based on concrete grounds and a consistent record of poor performance, rather than just one episode or a lack of alignment with a particular political sector.
Filizzola also criticized the Council of the Magistracy, which is responsible for taking part in the process of selecting judicial authorities, calling it “a disaster.” In his assessment, changing the composition of institutions without correcting the selection mechanisms could produce an outcome worse than the original problem.
The senator said that, at present, at least 20 lawmakers would be willing to vote against any possible impeachment of Court justices. That number would be enough to create a significant political obstacle, although the process would initially depend on the Chamber of Deputies.
The procedure is established in Article 225 of the National Constitution. The Chamber must bring the charges, while the Senate acts as the adjudicating body. Any initiative would therefore first have to clear the opening stage in the Chamber and then secure the majorities required in Congress.
Filizzola summed up the opposition bloc’s position by saying it would not support removing justices who were properly performing their duties. At the same time, he acknowledged the need to improve the functioning of the Judiciary and argued that any possible reform should be discussed on the basis of institutional criteria rather than power struggles.