Remembered for his combative style on the field and more recently for his controversial statements, exporter José Luis Chilavert formalized his candidacy for the Presidency.
His promise is to be part of the generation that will promote change in his country. At 56 years old, “Chila” confirmed her political aspirations after in December 2020 she anticipated on Twitter her intention to compete in the Paraguayan elections in April 2023.
“It’s time for changes, we are the generation that will promote it,” said Chilavert, in a message on his campaign website.
He will have to wait, however, until the result of the internal elections of the political parties and movements convened for next December 18, from which the candidates for the different elected positions, including president and vice president, will emerge.
“Chila”, as he is known in his country, appears supported by the Youth Party, a formation founded in 2007 that established in its statutes that “it will give priority to the country and not to color.”
Without any political experience and after his “indeclinable” resignation last January from the ruling Colorado Party, Chilavert exhibits his public career as his main letter of introduction.
“In my life I can always look people in the eye: I never stole anything from anyone, I won everything in my life as an athlete,” Chilavert said in a recent interview with Efe.
He thus alluded to his long sports career, during which he was considered the best goalkeeper in the world in 1995, 1997 and 1998, and what he describes as his “titanic struggle” for football in South America.
But in his extensive list of winners not all were awards. His walk on the courts was marked by controversy, such as the episode in which he spat in the face of Brazilian Roberto Carlos in a 2002 World Cup qualifying match.
Time later he would attribute that reaction to impotence over the result against Canarinha and an exchange of gestures with the Brazilian figure who was not the only one with whom he had friction.
More recently and already away from the courts since 2004, he returned to the front pages for a lawsuit filed against him by the president of Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, for expressions he published on social networks between September and December 2020.
Sentencing judge Manuel Aguirre announced last May his decision to sentence Chilavert to one year in prison with suspension of the execution of the sentence for defaming Domínguez.
After the decision, which he appealed this Thursday, the exporter considered that in the end “Chilavert won.”
Already fully in politics and after talking about his aspiration to build soccer fields for children, Chilavert insists on his concern about the “2030 agenda”, which links leftist leaderships and considers a “scourge” that South America is suffering.
«He is in Chile. Colombia can fall, hopefully not. She is also in Peru, in Bolivia, in Argentina », he warns and confesses that he would not like Paraguay « to fall into the hands of left-handed anarchists ».
As one of his references in politics, he mentions the former Prime Minister José María Aznar (1996-2004), whose management he said he had met during his time at the Zaragoza club, between 1988 and 1991.
And despite living in Argentina, Chilavert claims to be aware of what is happening in his country, where he constantly travels.
That is why it breaks down among its priorities, in case of coming to power, to promote education, improve health care and guarantee justice “that works”.
«I understand humble people, because I was also born poor. Until I was seven years old I was barefoot”, recalls the exporter, who defends that people be taught to work and have the freedom to do with their money “whatever one wants”. EFE
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