Dissident Colorado deputy Roberto González (ANR-Añeteté) stated that Cartist parliamentarians, their satellites, and liberals aligned with Horacio Cartes have been preventing for years the intervention of municipalities whose mayors are suspected of corruption. “They have been preventing it, with any excuse, because they do favors for each other. It's like I protect your corrupt person and you protect mine,” he declared.
González said he will continue to push for the seven intervention requests pending in the Chamber of Deputies to be approved. “We must push until the last day, otherwise the impression remains that mayors can steal like never before in their last year because they will not be intervened. Those suspected of corruption must be pursued until the last day of their term,” he stated.
The parliamentarian described the Chamber as a “cave of delinquents and protectors of delinquents” and said the image of the National Congress is being degraded. He cited the case of former senator Hernán Rivas, who presided over the Jurado de Enjuiciamiento de Magistrados with a fake university degree and was protected by Cartism for years. “He was an ‘apytu'ũ lampium’ (empty head) that barely illuminated,” said González, referring to Rivas's lack of preparation.
González also mentioned the mayor of Valenzuela, Mirtha Fernández (PLRA), who is facing a trial for breach of trust, and the mayor of Puerto Casado, Hilario Adorno (ANR-HC), brother of deputy Domingo “Mino” Adorno, already convicted of the same crime. “For both, municipal intervention was requested, and my colleagues covered for them. Liberals and Cartists favored each other,” he denounced.
The deputy warned of the “collateral damage” to both the PLRA and the ANR, compromising the parties' chances and reinforcing the image of impunity.