Last Friday, May 6, Mario Abdo Benítez, President of the Republic, announced that he will be Luis Pettengill’s campaign manager, in case the businessman ventures into the political arena and wins the next presidential elections in the ANR (December 18 ).
The comment generated a lot of repercussion, given that the ruling party’s candidate is Hugo Velázquez, current Vice President of the Republic. In addition, Pettengill has not yet made his presidential aspirations official.
The same businessman commented to radio stations on Monday that he is analyzing launching his candidacy and that he will make the decision on June 20, the date on which the registration period expires.
Juan José Zapag, president of the Cerro Porteño club, spoke about how he sees this possible candidacy, considering the friendship that unites both businessmen.
How do you see Pettengill’s profile for President of the Republic?
Yesterday I was talking to him (for Sunday). We went together to see Cerro’s game. I always ask him, I want to know if his candidacy is going to be a reality. It depends on many factors, he tells me. We are thinking.
It is not a simple matter because first you must be convinced of what you are going to undertake and it is necessary for that to have support, even more so when you can be a candidate for such a large party, such as the Colorado Party.
Other than that, I’m not Colorado. I got affiliated, but I don’t know how. My opinion is completely disinterested, but the engineer Pettengill has the conviction, the passion and the experience, I have no doubt that he has the ability and the courage.
There were men who tried to lead, but they have not been able to because the system is so corrupt that power is not handled with capacity. It is managed with money, with influences and any kind of tricks, absolutely negative from every point of view for the efficient development of the country. It is my vision as an entrepreneur, I could tell you that his ability is unquestionable, as well as his experience as an administrator.
This country needs an administrator and I don’t know if he will come or if he is really going to launch himself, but in terms of consultation he is a capable, intelligent and very serious man in what he does.
From there to making a good government depends on who comes first or who has the opportunity, and that is still a long way off, because he is not yet an official candidate, but if it materializes it would be very interesting, I have no doubt.
Of the figures that are used for President of the Republic, do you consider that Pettengill has the best profile?
What I think is that Pettengill has the best profile from the point of view of independence in decisions or it should be like that, but when he arrives with a party behind him, surely those political favors could be difficult, or it would be difficult for an official candidate of a party does not have to return favors, it is the way it is handled pitifully.
It should be a different candidate with a different leadership, but since we are talking about assumptions, today he is not a candidate and the two candidates of the party that the internal ones have to compete with do not guarantee that they will be presidents of the Republic either because the opposition is there .
So, I cannot say that he is the best candidate, what I can say is that he is the one that least depends on the environment, which I have already said. It is not a healthy environment, it never was, it never will be, because the doctrine of the Colorado Party ceased to be fulfilled a long time ago.
The ideals and all the good things that the party’s doctrine has long ago disappeared. So I speak simply as one more citizen, not as a politician because I am not, but as a working man who sees what this country needs and does not have.
Do you think Pettengill has the courage to function in that environment?
He has a lot of work capacity. The truth would be good to transfer the question to him, but I see it as very interesting, without a doubt, that there is a possibility that it could arrive, and nothing more, but it is my opinion, not that of my family, nor of my business group.
It is my personal point of view because I know him and I have seen him work and that is very important. I mean, there are plenty of capacities and commitment too.
On that basis I think it is the most important thing to lead a country, but that road is very long and he is not a candidate yet and I do not know if he will be, at least I know that he is a very capable person.
How do you see the encouragement and feelings of Pettengill to be president of the Republic?
I think he is also close to the circle of power. Not very close probably. Where does he come from he couldn’t answer.
I don’t know if they are raising him within the party, or his friends. At least I only ask him if it is possible and that it would be good. The truth did not come remotely from me, but it did come from the query about what I think he is like, and I know what he does, so he is a serious man, with a lot of work and from a working family.
The country needs that, more than promises, work, so I hope I have the opportunity, but as I told you, I see it as far away because I don’t know if it’s on time, I don’t know honestly speaking.
He is an interesting man. He learned a lot and I think he has, without a doubt, the ability to lead this country.
