In both the Colorado and Liberal parties, questionable figures appear. Some are running for Congress for the first time, others are trying to be re-elected or re-occupy their seats.
Although there is no official list yet, we review below some of the names that are mentioned.
NRA
Among the candidates for Congress by the Colorado Party, appear; Hugo Sosa Pasmor, former criminal judge of guarantees and former Vice Minister of the Interior, for the ruling party. In August 2018, when Abdo Benítez had just taken office as president of the Republic, an audio of Sosa Pasmor went viral in which the new candidate is heard stating that he requested positions in various public entities from the president-elect. In the audio he promised job sources in the places that he could get from the Executive.
Carla Bacigalupo, Minister of Labor, also aspires to the Senate for the ruling party. The Secretary of State has been questioned since she took office in July 2018 for alleged irregularities in Sinafocal and in the SNPP (National Professional Promotion Service).
Basilio “Bachi” Núñez, current deputy for the ANR (Chartism), aspires to the Senate. Years ago, he was reported to the Public Ministry (along with several members of his family), for illicit enrichment and influence peddling. Specifically, he is accused that during his management as mayor of Villa Hayes, he produced a shortfall of G. 6 billion.
It should be remembered that Juan Carlos Ozorio, a national deputy for the ANR, resigned from his seat at the beginning of March. This after a journalistic investigation that revealed alleged links of the now former legislator with drug trafficking. The cooperative also aspired to a re-election before this case was uncovered.
PLRA
Manuel “Manu” Morínigo is a candidate for the Senate. He was denounced in September 2013 by an official of the Municipality of Luque when he was serving as president of the Municipal Board for attempted rape and sexual coercion. In February 2014 he was charged by the Public Ministry represented by the prosecutor Celeste Campos Ross. The same responds to the movement of Blas Llano.
The victim was fired after not agreeing to Morínigo’s requests according to the complaint. The then councilman argued that the background of the case was only a “political persecution.”
Dionisio Amarilla is also a candidate for the Upper House. The politician was dismissed in June 2019, precisely from the Senate. He was stripped of his bench for a case of influence peddling.
Specifically, a journalistic investigation revealed that the then legislator tried to favor the security company of his friend Óscar Chamorro in a bidding process of the Social Security Institute (IPS).
In addition, senators Blas Llano and Zulma Gómez are seeking re-election. Both are questioned for their links with Chartism. The same legislator posted on Twitter that she is a friend of Horacio Cartes and that he does not represent any danger to democracy.
