The new pro-government candidate, Arnoldo Wiens, argued that he has nothing “personal” against his rival Santiago Peña, but that a “republican embrace” after the red internals with Horacio Cartes would be “difficult.”
After the inauguration of works on the Costanera Norte de Asunción, the Minister of Public Works and new candidate of the ruling Republican Force movement, Arnoldo Wiens, said that his candidacy came as an absolute surprise given the dizzying process after the resignation of Hugo Velázquez.
The resigning minister who will say goodbye to his Public Works team on Tuesday, since he will present his resignation from the position of minister before President Mario Abdo Benítez to focus fully on his proselytizing campaign.
He promised not to dishonor the trust placed in him and recalled that in 2011 he had already launched a presidential candidacy.
“Both the national constitution and the electoral laws always promote and strengthen the highest percentage of participation, in that sense it is said in the party regulations that not everything is clear, but in the mayoral elections there were substitutions of candidates weeks before election day by candidates who died. I am confident that the legal path to this issue is paved and I trust. Participatory elections are convenient for the ANR”, he referred.
On the other hand, when asked about the possibility of a republican embrace with the Honor Colorado movement, Minister Wiens said that “I am going to embrace all those who really proclaim the doctrine of the Colorado Party.” He added that he has “nothing personal” against Santiago Peña, the candidate for Honor Colorado.
“The way things are, hardly, being nominated, I think it would be a gesture that does not correspond to our doctrine,” he said about a hug with former president Horacio Cartes.
