A group of Capiatá residents formally requested on Tuesday the immediate revocation of the city’s distinguished citizen and favorite son titles awarded to former senator Erico Galeano. The petition was submitted to the Municipal Board by graduates Alejo Ventura and Miguel Fernández on behalf of a citizens’ collective.
Galeano received a firm conviction in two instances for money laundering and criminal association, in the context of the “A Ultranza” case. After the Appeals Court upheld the sentence, he was sent to the National Pretrial Detention Center, the former Tacumbú prison, by order of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
In the document delivered to the municipal legislature, the petitioners acknowledged that the honorary distinction was approved unanimously “under a principle of good faith,” but argued that subsequent events “irreversibly changed the context” that justified the tribute. “Honorary distinctions represent the highest expression of a community’s moral, civic, and ethical values,” they stressed.
The residents further stated that keeping the recognition for Galeano damages the prestige of the Capiatá legislature and “offends the dignity of citizens.” In March, the Areguá Municipal Board had already unanimously withdrawn the favorite son title from the former lawmaker, in a decision that, according to the council members, aimed to preserve the reputation of the local legislative body.