Enrique Riera, an independent Colorado national senator, requested a motion of preference to deal with the request for a constitutional agreement in eight days for his nomination as ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS). This, during the ordinary session held yesterday in the Senate.
Riera aspires to be an extraordinary ambassador, plenipotentiary, and permanent representative to the OAS. The quota has been vacant since May.
During his speech, he explained that if his appointment does not materialize in the month of November, it will already be impossible to do the paperwork in December for the rents that must be signed months in advance so that they run from the first of January.
Riera argued that he only claims the speed of the appointment of Víctor Ríos as minister of the Court.
“I claim the same treatment. I think the reasons are not only personal but institutional. These embassies have long been vacant. There is some resistance, but I don’t know why. I apologize if I was wrong, ”he said.
He said he considers the request reasonable, and only the political will is lacking.
“Next Thursday is December 2nd, and if the treatment is on the 10th, I’m already out. Three months that will be vacant. There are no personal issues. There was a vote in which Paraguay was not present and a vote was lost. You have to be in an organization as important as the OAS, ”he said.
On Monday he will continue to insist on the board of directors. Ask your colleagues to meet for 15 minutes sometime during the next week and vote yes or no.
SAMANIEGO
Lilian Samaniego, an independent Colorado senator, was one of Riera’s main critics. He affirmed that the Senate is not to blame that the Executive has now sent the seven candidates at once.
“Senators will always have the predisposition to rule before the end of the year. We senators are not to blame that the Executive has sent seven candidates, including Senator Riera. We will give it the speed that we can give it ”, he affirmed.
IN FAVOR
Some legislators were openly in favor of Riera. One of them was Fernando Silva Facetti who stressed that the OAS is a collegiate body where decisions are made by majority vote, therefore, reservations must be made.
Silvio “Beto” Ovelar, Colorado national senator, also showed his support for Riera. He ironically argued that if the embassy where Riera had to go was in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, the procedures would have been more agile.
VOTE
To approve Riera’s request, 23 votes were needed. However, he only got 17. Six senators openly voted against it. Another nine abstained from voting. And 13 were absent.
The legislators who were openly against the request were; Amado Florentín, Desirée Masi, Juan Darío Monges, Lilian Samaniego, Pedro Santacruz and Javier Zacarías Irún. The Guasu Front bloc, plus some liberals, abstained.
