From the President of the Republic Mario Abdo and Vice President Hugo Velázquez to a large part of the cabinet, including heads of ministries and secretariats, are campaigning for the red inmates of December, many of them using their positions for proselytism. Meanwhile, who is in charge of governing the country?
Since 2021, the political campaigns of authorities of the Government of Mario Abdo Benítez have already begun, for the red inmates of December 18 and for the general ones of April 30, 2023.
One of the first was current Vice President Hugo “Toro” Velázquez, who last year made his presidential candidacy official for the new Republican Force movement, with the support of Mario Abdo Benítez.
Assuming that people have already forgotten their participation in the Itaipu sellout bilateral secret act, later annulled by Jair Bolsonaro to save the skin of his friend Marito, Hugo Velázquez began his departmental tours in search of votes from the Colorado bases.
It was not until the end of February of this year that Velázquez announced to the duo that he would accompany him on the plate. The then Minister of Education, Juan Manuel Brunetti, who only on March 11, after much media pressure for not being able to mix something as delicate as education with politics, decided to resign.
Already towards the end of 2021 it was speculated that Abdo would also launch a candidacy, and although his candidacy for the Governing Board of the ANR, even though he was President of the Republic, was an open secret, the president preferred to delay the confirmation of something that had already I had decided. In December he stated that he would respond in March, when that month came he said that, around Easter, after those dates he kept silent, until finally in the first days of May he was encouraged to break the news.
In the opinion of some, his candidacy is unconstitutional, since, in case of winning, it would generate an incompatibility for the simultaneous exercise of two positions, taking into account that a Head of State can dedicate himself solely and exclusively to his functions.
Mario Abdo was joined by members of his cabinet and close collaborators, as the weeks went by. Many of them remain in office to this day, not caring about campaigning “at the same time,” so to speak, although some seem to proselytize 24/7.
One who occupies a very important and sensitive position is Dr. Julio Rolón, former deputy minister of health, candidate for senator and still director of the Incan (National Cancer Institute), where patients suffer hardships parallel to those already implied by the illness.
He assures that he separates his functions as director very well from his political life and his campaign, however, it becomes inevitable to mix both things and it is even more difficult to dedicate himself fully to the work of a reference hospital for the treatment of oncological diseases.
The Minister of Health, Julio Borba, has not yet started an open campaign, however, he was registered as a candidate for senator. In addition, Dr. Carlos Pallarolas, a medical therapist from Ciudad del Este, is in intense proselytizing for his candidacy for Governor of Alto Paraná.
Mario Varela, Minister of Social Development, another member of Abdo’s Cabinet, is also a candidate for senator for Republican Force and even so, continues to head an institution whose main mission is to assist disadvantaged sectors and where, therefore, campaigning is even more feasible and tempting. What’s more, the institution he is responsible for is part of the “economic recovery” plan announced for the second half of the year.
Denis Lichi, president of Petropar, is a candidate for Governor of Cordillera for Republican Force, however, until now he has not set a date for his resignation, but on the contrary, he continues to stand amid strong questions about dubious tenders in the state oil company.
The president of Essap, Natalicio Chase, another Abdo secretary who remains in office while at the same time campaigning for the national senatorship and asking for votes for “El Toro.” Broken pipes, water leaks and the ball pass with the municipalities due to the state of the streets also have no expiration date.
The Minister of Labor, Carla Bacigalupo. She is also seeking senatorship for the Republican Force and lately she has been much more involved in all activities such as: presentations of SNPP training courses, job fairs, awards and gifts to small entrepreneurs, among other things.
The head of the Diben (Direction of Charity), Carmen Alonso, also aspires to the national senator for the Colorado ruling party and, like the rest of the cabinet in the campaign, did not even consider leaving office to dedicate herself exclusively to her campaign.
