Arnaldo Giuzzio, Minister of the Interior, appeared before the Permanent Commission of the National Congress. On the occasion, he exposed the achievements of the Ministry of the Interior and again accused Horacio Cartes, former President of the Republic, of trafficking cigarettes.
Regarding the second, he affirmed that the crime of a citizen (Cristina “Vita” Aranda) was used by the Cartes Group to promote the accusatory libel.
“I would love for that libel to be presented by honorable people who deserve respect. It is a political retaliation, vendetta, typical of the mafia. I imagine they realize that,” he told the legislators present.
He questioned that several directors of Cambios Amambay (now Basa bank) were prosecuted in Brazil for cigarette trafficking. One of them, Eduardo Campos Marín, who is a member of the Stock Exchange, gave money to Darío Messer so that he can remain in captivity.
“It’s not a Stock Market, it’s a Criminal Stock Exchange,” he said ironically.
TABESA
During his oratory, he questioned that Tabesa declared that between 20213 and 2018, he made sales of US$ 1.1 billion, only locally. While exports were for US$ 43 million.
“Who is the one who consumes so much? To sell that amount there must be those who consume 10,000 packs a day. The trend in the world is that fewer and fewer people smoke,” he questioned.
He explained that one of the points of sale for cigarette trafficking is Mexico, where shipments cannot be sent without the blessing of drug trafficking groups.
“The operations they carry out exceed eight times the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Paraguay. This person is the one who wants to take us to impeachment. I can go out, there is no problem, but it will not be the solution.
He then commented that he asked the national president to remove all Chartists from the government, although he did not indicate what Abdo’s response was, but it is understood that it was a negative.
“The great merit of Cartes is being able to extort money from Abdo Benítez. It keeps chartists in key places”, he commented.
He then urged the liberals not to fall by supporting the former president since the people need alternatives
“Cartes is going to fall and you with him. It is important that the people think that they continue to be a political option,” he stressed.
ABDO
Abdo Benítez, President of the Republic, was questioned after his statements about the “Vita” Aranda case. The president affirmed that the fight against organized crime is permanent. “The numbers, as much as they reflect an effort, are never enough,” he said last Tuesday.
This was harshly criticized by various sectors. Even by Iván Torres, Aranda’s husband who posted on the networks that the national president’s bag is too big for affirming that citizens must deal with this crime.
“When the president said that this was going to continue, what he said is that we have to prepare ourselves for constant and permanent work because reality is changing, long-term strategies cannot be designed. On Saturday, five people were caught preventing a kidnapping, but on Sunday we found this,” he said.
LATEST NEWS
At the close of this edition, Abdo Benítez appointed Gilberto Fleitas to replace Luis Arias as commander of the National Police. While Arnaldo Giuzzio suddenly remains in office.
RELEASE
Production unions such as the PMU, UIP, Feprinco, Fecropod and others, published a 10-point statement regarding the country’s insecurity. In the document they ask for the acquisition of radars, the approval of a law for the shooting down of planes, tougher penalties for contract killings, and enforcement of the political financing law, just to name the most important ones. What is striking is that they do not allude to Giuzzio.
