Senate Analyzes Police Commander Promotion and Ambassador Appointments; Senator Criticizes 'Vori Vori Day' Bill

The Paraguayan Senate on Wednesday (19) addresses 19 items, including the promotion request of National Police Commander César Roberto Silguero Lobos and the designation of concurrent ambassadors to various countries. Senator Celeste Amarilla harshly criticized a bill establishing the 'National Vori Vori Day,' calling it 'stupid' amid the social crisis.

Senado analisa ascenso de comandante policial e nomeações de embaixadores; senadora critica projeto do 'Dia do Vori Vori'
Senado analisa ascenso de comandante policial e nomeações de embaixadores; senadora critica projeto do 'Dia do Vori Vori'

The Paraguayan Senate, under the presidency of Basilio Bachi Núñez, defined the agenda for the next ordinary session in a Board of Directors meeting, which includes 19 items. Among the highlights is the Executive's request to grant the rank of general commissioner commander to the current National Police Commander, César Roberto Silguero Lobos, appointed in April to replace Carlos Benítez. Item 9 of the agenda specifically addresses this request.

Under item 12, various requests for constitutional agreement for the designation of concurrent ambassadors will be analyzed. Among them, Juan Ignacio Livieres Ocampos, ambassador to South Africa, may accumulate representation before the Kingdom of Eswatini, Zambia, Uganda, and Mauritius. The ambassador to Italy, María José Argaña Mateu, is proposed for Montenegro and North Macedonia. Raúl Alberto Florentín Ántola, permanent representative to the OAS in Washington, may be concurrent in Saint Lucia and Jamaica. The ambassador to Japan, Mario Masayuki Toyotoshi, is nominated for Laos, and the ambassador to Israel, Alejandro Rubin Cymerman, for Cyprus.

Amid the agenda, liberal Senator Celeste Amarilla spoke out against the declaration bill establishing the National Vori Vori Day, a typical dish of Paraguayan cuisine, to be celebrated on August 22. The initiative already has half-sanction from the Chamber of Deputies and is signed by Cartist deputies Rodrigo Gamarra, Rocío Abed, Cristina Villalba, and Jazmín Narváez, as well as liberal Freddy Franco. Amarilla called the proposal 'stupid' and incompatible with the crisis of poverty, lack of medicines, and corruption facing the country. 'While the country sinks into poverty, we are dealing with the vori vori day,' she stated, urging parliamentarians to 'stop wasting time on such nonsense.'