The unfortunate expressions of Luis Apesteguia, spokesman for the Joint Task Forces (FTC), regarding the announcement of a “strategic victory” over the self-proclaimed “Army of the Paraguayan People” (EPP), despite the 600 days of kidnapping recorded Óscar Denis in the hands of guerrilla groups, are added to a long list of phrases that demonstrate the institutional communication problems suffered by the Executive.
At the beginning of February, after the attack that took place at an artistic event in San Bernardino, which ended the life of Cristina Aranda, wife of Iván Torres, an Olimpia soccer player, the president affirmed that the hitman “will continue.”
“Our government is committed, this is reflected in the numbers, there are many record seizures in the history of Paraguay (…) and bills will surely be collected again… this will continue,” he said at the time. These comments were criticized by Torres himself and generated a citizen reaction.
At the end of September of last year, the president was the target of ridicule after comparing the department of Caaguazú with Miami, United States.
“The duplication of the Transchaco, look, go through the Caaguazú district, I think there are four viaducts, it looks like Miami,” he said.
INFLECTION POINT
One of the main communication errors occurred during the first days of February of last year, when the president was inaugurating infrastructure and equipment improvements in the Sanitary Park of the IV Sanitary Region of Villarrica. At that time, a desperate older adult implored medicine for his brother who was hospitalized for a serious case of Covid-19.
Although the man was unable to reach the president, the journalists later asked him about the lack of medicines, to which the head of state responded; “Moo piko che aikuaapáta (I can’t know everything), I’m not a doctor”.
BAD START
In September 2018, when he had barely been in office for a month, Abdo expressed the famous phrase; “Whoever falls falls”, alluding to the fact that any authority of his government can go to prison for committing acts of corruption. However, this was never fulfilled.
In April 2019, a councilor for President Franco threatened him that he would not finish his term if he left the people aside. To which the national president had no better response than “Are you going to kick me out? Oh, how scary!”
Another of the most remembered phrases was; “Paraguay has to be a serious country, we can no longer be a rogue country, beggar and acting as a toll booth.” She produced it in June 2019, to defend the bilateral secret act signed with Brazil that represented a loss of US$250 million a year for the State.
In December 2020, the president stated that “the country has one of the best health systems in the world.”
CASTIÑEIRA
Selva Castiñeira, a political scientist, affirmed that the disapproval of 82% of the government’s management is largely due to poor communication.
“It is very important that within the Government you can count on prepared people who can carry out good communication and follow up on the Government’s management, who are the right people and experts in crisis,” he recommended.
For the analyst, the government’s disapproval is largely due to poor communication.
“There are contradictions in many statements. Both from the ministries and from the presidency itself. It is important that they agree on what they are going to communicate. The success of a government depends on its ability to communicate correctly”, he finally recommended.
