The Paraguayan Senate passed on Tuesday, June 2, the bill declaring a national road safety emergency for one year, amid opposition questioning about the proposal's true intentions and the broad powers it grants to the National Traffic and Road Safety Agency (ANTSV).
The initiative, authored by Cartista — supporters of former President Horacio Cartes — deputies Hugo Meza and Miguel Del Puerto, had already received partial approval from the Chamber of Deputies and now moves to promulgation or potential veto by the Executive Branch. The text authorizes the ANTSV to adopt exceptional and extraordinary administrative measures aimed at preventing, enforcing, and reducing traffic accidents, including the use of technological tools and the implementation of operational and inter-institutional mechanisms during the emergency period.
The president of Congress, Senator Basilio "Bachi" Núñez, defended the urgency of the measure based on the country's accident statistics. "If there is an emergency, I believe it must be addressed. Four deaths a day — is that an emergency? It is an emergency. We have more than 400 deaths from traffic accidents in Paraguay," the legislator stated, adding that many of these deaths could be prevented with a comprehensive strategy.
Núñez cited four pillars to tackle the problem: road safety education, investment in the repair and maintenance of highways in poor condition, strengthening of vehicle technical inspections, and implementation of mandatory vehicle insurance. He also mentioned the incorporation of technology for traffic control, citing automated speed cameras as an example, but avoided detailing which specific tools the law intends to implement.
The opposition, however, questions the speed with which the bill was approved and the lack of technical studies proving a significant increase in accidents that would justify declaring an emergency. Senators Esperanza Martínez (FG), José Oviedo (YoCreo), and Rafael Filizzola (PDP) stated that the law seeks to bypass public procurement controls and grant discretionary power to the head of the ANTSV, Félix Jiménez, who is part of Núñez's political team.
Opponents argue that it would not be necessary to declare a national emergency to deploy technology on highways and that the initiative, with only five articles, is actually aimed at prioritizing business in public procurement. "What are you afraid of with automated speed cameras?" Núñez retorted, inviting critics to look at Brazil's experience with the use of technology on roads.
The approval comes in the midst of an election year and will allow the return of automated speed cameras and radar systems on the country's highways, as well as expedite procurement processes by the ANTSV without the usual oversight controls.