The Chamber of Deputies approved the bill that reduces the minimum age for candidates for mayor and councillors. Thus, the modification of the Municipal Organic Law will allow young people between the ages of 20 and 22 to run as councilors and mayors, respectively. The law passes to the Executive for its promulgation or veto.
According to the Colorado deputy, Hugo Ramírez, with the law, the way in which young people will finance their political campaign is worrying, since they will not yet have extensive experience in community work, to which is added the possibility of finding themselves just studying a college career. The parliamentarian mentioned that the young man will have a lack of academic training, without mentioning that he will not earn more than the minimum wage.
Hugo Ramirez
“Who will finance the political campaign of a 22-year-old? This law makes you believe that the political bosses of the small districts will actually find themselves administering the resources as if they were relatives, through their children,” Ramírez stressed, consistently adding the concern of campaign financing with drug trafficking resources. .
Likewise, the deputy pointed out that the sanction will allow the existence of more people like Santi Peña, referring to puppet candidates who can be financed and managed from another sector. Ramírez stressed that Congress should not have approved the law, for which he spoke of the need for the President’s veto.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ELECTORATE
Beyond the maintenance of family clans in the state estates, as well as the financing of campaigns with money from drug trafficking, political analyst Milda Rivarola asserted that in reality the law has an electoral objective that seeks the greatest participation of a stratum social who does not want to vote
Milda Rivarola
“It is being tried by different means to force or encourage people to vote, where the young rank is the one that participates the least”, considered the specialist, adding that the problem is centered on the quality of the skills and the formations that end up being councilors and mayors.
He pointed out that for the position of councilman no training requirement is requested to exercise the position, the fact was reinforced with cases that he knows related to officials in total ignorance of the realization of a minute or their own functions.
“Rather, I think this is to encourage political operators, those people who are going to gather votes, who are generally young,” he assured. Within the point, he observed that the deputies have their operators in each municipality, among which there is an alliance that is not very efficient in terms of governance.
IT’S NOT ADVISABLE
The lawyer and political analyst, Hugo Estigarribia, the new law could be considered beneficial for young people in terms of political participation, but he also disagrees because experience is essential when holding public office.
Hugo Estigarribia
“It is a very young age because young people would not yet be finishing a university career, to perform a position of high responsibility at the municipal level,” said the expert, adding that the sanction could be due to the encouragement of politicians to ingratiate themselves with a sector of the population, with the aim of capturing the increasingly growing young vote.
In this sense, he explained that those who support the regulation will probably carry out campaigns with the new modification, for which he finds the reform opportunistic, thinking of functionality. Despite this, he does not rule out a possible renewal of the political class, citing that a young person can give surprises with good management, in the same way that having more experience does not exempt from poor performance in the function.
Regarding the maintenance of family clans in public sectors, the lawyer said that he can enable it, but in any case that is the reality that is seen with or without a law that allows it. Given this, the analyst questions more forcefully the way in which negotiations are carried out to place the sons of politicians in certain spaces of power.
Clan Gonzalez Daher
Located in strategic strata of the public function, the González Daher moved through usury G. 6.5 billion in 5 years. The Prosecutor’s Office itself maintained that the power exercised by former senator Óscar González Daher in the Magistrates’ Trial Jury was used by his brother, Ramón González Daher, for usury.
– Ramón González Daher, brother of the former senator: former soccer manager. His last affidavit of assets presented in 2018 speaks of a net worth of G. 517,683 million.
– María Emilia González Chaves, daughter of the former senator: Itaipú official. Remuneration: G. 34.590.9964.
– Óscar Rubén González Chávez, son of the former senator: re-elected councilor of Luque. He previously received a salary of almost G. 27 million. According to his affidavits, from 2012 to 2017, he had income of G. 2,176,634,663. As salary, he received G. 1,153,710,480. He worked directly with his son Fernando Gonzále Karjallo, accused of usury and money laundering along with his father.
Clan Ovelar
(2021 data)
The senator for the Honor Colorado movement, Silvio “Beto” Ovelar, has several relatives located within the public service, costing the Paraguayan people more than G. 500 million annually.
– Iris Magnolia Mendoza Balmaceda, wife of Beto: Itaipu official. Remuneration: G. 98,045,832.
– Armando Mendoza Balmaceda, Beto’s father-in-law: Yacyretá official. Remuneration: G. 43,697,642.
– Violeta Mendoza Balmaceda, Beto’s sister-in-law: Yacyretá official. Remuneration: G. 34,885,611.
– José Armando Mendoza Balmaceda, Beto’s brother-in-law: official of the Supreme Court of Justice. Remuneration: G. 17,806,000.
– Robert Eligio Ovelar Benítez, brother of Beto: Customs official. Remuneration: G. 22,097,917.
– Lourdes Mariela Ovelar Benítez, Beto’s sister: Public Prosecutor’s Office official. Remuneration: G. 7,025,477.
– Hugo Jamil Ovelar Benítez, brother of Beto: official of the Municipality of Cnel. Oviedo. Remuneration: G. 9,000,000.
– Rodney Gustavo Ovelar Benítez, Beto’s brother: Ministry of Defense official. Remuneration: G. 17,555,600.
Solomon Clan
(2021 data)
Óscar “Cachito” Salomón, president of the Senate, has direct relatives and politicians located in 11 official entities:
– Felipe Salomón Casola, son of Cachito: Mayor of San Lorenzo.
– Gloria Núñez de Salomón, wife of Cachito: Yacyretá official.
– Rebeca Núñez, stepdaughter of Cachito: official of the Judiciary.
– César Bloker, partner of Char Salomón, daughter of Cachito: Itaipu official. Salary: G. 29,500,000
– César Bloker Tofolletti, Cachito’s in-law: Director of Human Talent of the Central Bank of Paraguay.
– Ing. Juan Ramón Ibarra, Cachito’s brother-in-law: Yacyretá official. Salary: G. 36,000,000.
– María Ángela Salomón de Ibarra, sister of Cachito: official of the Office of the First Lady. Salary: G. 20,000,000.
– Juan Manuel Ibarra Salomón, nephew of Cachito: Itaipu official. Salary G. 22,000,000.
– Édgar Osvaldo Salomón Fernández, brother of Cachito: Customs official.
– Oscar López, compadre de Cachito: Yacyretá official. Salary: G. 32,000,000.
– Arnaldo Fernández, compadre de Cachito: Administrative Director of Yacyretá. Salary: G. 70,000,000.
