González presented on April 19 a permit request for 15 days (from April 18 to May 5). However, considering that it is unlikely that the measure will be lifted during that time, the councilors decided to choose his replacement. In addition, the governor had requested the permit request one day after the house arrest measure. That is, it was presented before and not after.
Gustavo Machuca won by 11 votes against 10. Efrainist liberal councilors, more pro-government supporters and a Chartist (Alejandro Núñez), voted in his favor.
LARROZA
Derlis Larroza, a liberal Llanista councilor (opposer to Machuca), proposed his fellow caucus Dilio Ortiz for president of the Municipal Board.
“He was our candidate from the moment we believed that the governor was incapable. Until yesterday (for Monday) we had 12 votes. We always had the theory that we were going to negotiate on the basis that a liberal should be the head of the negotiation, ”he said.
He regretted that his own co-religionists have broken their word.
“I have no staff against Gustavo Machuca, but he was a person who was practically at the governor’s side all this time,” he said.
The councilor explains that Machuca, although he belongs to the ruling party, has always voted against requests for intervention against Hugo Javier González.
“He was always by the governor’s side. We raise someone who is always opposing us. I don’t think it will change much, hopefully it will, but I don’t have much hope. It is a disappointment what happened to the colleagues who were with us until yesterday and today they changed their minds, ”he said.
BACKGROUND
In November, Rodrigo Estigarribia, prosecutor of the Specialized Unit for Economic Crimes of the Prosecutor’s Office, charged González and 14 other people with the alleged embezzlement of G. 5,105 million that the government should allocate to mitigate the pandemic.
The hearing for the imposition of measures took place last Tuesday, April 12. The judge in the case ordered the governor’s house arrest.
Since then, he has been confined in a house located in the gated community of Costa Lago in the city of Ypacaraí.
