The legislator met with several United States authorities last July and chartists affirm that the government of Mario Abdo had a “direct influence” to act on the image of Horacio Cartes in that country. They mention that a sum of approximately 7,500 dollars would have been paid to “buy” US authorities.
There are divided opinions about what was really the management that Samaniego went to carry out, some affirm that it is illogical that a country like the United States agree to receive some type of bribe, while others, based on a supposed document from the Registry of Foreign Agents, which is a legal document that is requested when a person or entity hires someone to carry out negotiations with other governments, they affirm that it “is proof” that an agreement was signed so that the legislator could hold periodic meetings in said country.
“One of the world powers designates Cartes as significantly corrupt after Lilian Samaniego’s lobby; if it is so easy for the chartists to go and lobby and remove it then” declared senator Desirée Masi.
He also said that what they are saying seems absurd to him, referring to the fact as crazy: “It is nonsense, in the first place, they did not agree to any report, there is no private report. In the United States that is a system, people hire consultants and pay and that is regulated, whoever comes up with the idea that a person, be they a senator or anyone, can make the world’s greatest power declare someone significantly corrupt, in especially a former president. It seems to me somewhat delusional ”she declared.
For her part, Senator Lilian Samaniego spoke about the accusations in which she appears involved and mentioned that she made the payment to lobbyists to be able to access a meeting with the US authorities, however, she denied the “lobbying” highlighting that the payment came from your own pocket. “A consignment payment was made to a project on defense, security and intelligence that I will present shortly.”
She also said that several years ago she went to the United States through invitations: “This time I was invited by a University located in southern California, I was also with some senators and with the undersecretary of the state department. Everything I did was legal and transparent.” Referring to Cartes, he said “he is the one questioned, not me, they don’t want to throw the responsibility on me, he has to seek to justify this decision they made in the United States on his own behalf.”
She referred to herself as a senator who works and mentioned that she feels ashamed that the party’s president, Pedro Alliana, is begging for an audience. Regarding the issue of the Iranian plane that landed in Paraguayan territory, she said that from the first moment they questioned her about why and why she made that landing here. Samaniego took advantage and urged the followers of Horacio Cartes to worry about themselves since they have been under investigation for a long time.
