The Paraguayan Senate will define this Wednesday the renewal of its representatives on the Jurado de Enjuiciamiento de Magistrados (JEM) and the Consejo de la Magistratura, in a session where the ruling party will seek to maintain its influence over the justice system.
Senator Derlis Maidana (ANR, Honor Colorado) confirmed he will leave his post as representative on the JEM, informing his caucus that he will not seek to continue. "I have already completed a cycle and, secondly, I will be more dedicated to the municipal elections, especially in Misiones, in Central, and in some other parts of the country," the legislator stated.
His name is often mentioned as a possible replacement on the body that judges magistrates, prosecutors, and public defenders. Meanwhile, Senator Mario Varela (ANR, dissident) confirmed he is holding talks with various political sectors to secure the necessary votes to continue as the Senate's representative on the JEM.
Regarding the Consejo de la Magistratura, the continuity of Liberal senator Édgar López as the Upper House's representative is indicated, as no strong candidacies have emerged to challenge his position.
Maidana's tenure on the JEM was marked by controversial episodes, including public promises of recusal in cases involving prosecutor Sophia Galeano, who was investigating the company Arte Culinario, owned by the mother of then-cartista pre-candidate Hugo Farías.