The board of directors of the Chamber of Senators held a meeting with Julio Arriola, national chancellor. The reason was to learn details about the accusations made by the Government of the United States, through its embassy in our country, against Horacio Cartes and Hugo Velázquez, former president and current vice president of the Republic, respectively.
On July 22, the US embassy in our country designated Horacio Cartes, former president of the Republic, as significantly corrupt due to his participation in acts of corruption. With this, Cartes and his immediate family members, that is, his children, Juan Pablo Cartes Montaña, Sofía Cartes Montaña and María Sol Cartes Montaña will not be able to enter the United States for life. A similar fate befell Hugo Velázquez on August 12. This also affected his children; Dionicio Adalberto Velázquez Giménez, Sonya Rebeca Velázquez Escauriza and Hugo José Velázquez Escauriza and his current wife Lourdes María Andrea Samaniego González.
At the end of the meeting, Silvio “Beto” Ovelar, national senator for the ANR (Chartism), pointed out that most of the caucus presidents agree in demanding a firmer position from the Foreign Ministry because they consider that the treatment of the United States for Paraguay is not the one that corresponds. “Arriola explained to us the conversations he had and the relationship he has with the American ambassador, but he did not convince us at all with his answers, we believe that the Paraguayan position is even cowardly (cowardly),” he questioned.
Arriola could not show or mention any evidence that the US government has against Cartes and Velázquez since the embassy refuses to deliver any type of documentation. The argument they put forward for not turning over evidence is that it may hinder the investigation they are conducting. “They come, they appoint, they don’t give evidence and they refuse to give any type of information, affecting a senator for life like Cartes and an acting vice president like Hugo Velázquez,” commented Ovelar, visibly upset.
The legislator asked the Government for firmer positions in the face of this type of situation, which he described as “interference” with national sovereignty. He questioned that these appointments only happen in Paraguay and not in other neighboring countries. “Why do they act this way with Paraguay and don’t do the same with Argentina and Brazil? They give us a similar treatment to the countries of Central America, which are banana countries, that is my claim. I consider that we are a republic, sovereign and independent. We deserve more respect. I deeply regret the pusillanimous attitude of our government”, he insisted.
