Pope Francis will impose the cardinal’s cap and ring on Monsignor Adalberto Martínez this Saturday, August 27. In this way, Martínez will become the first Paraguayan cardinal.
For this reason, Mario Abdo, President of the Republic, and Silvana Abdo, First Lady, along with an official delegation, confirmed the trip to Rome, and will be present on Saturday, August 27 at Saint Peter’s Basilica and on Sunday, August 28, the day that the Paraguayan Cardinal will celebrate his first mass as such in the company of the Paraguayan priests who attend and pilgrims who will be accompanying him that day.
The country will be in charge of the “significantly corrupt” Hugo Velázquez, who refuses to leave his functions as Vice President of the Republic.
ANALYSTS
Rocío Duarte, a political scientist, affirmed that the institutions allowed the vice president to continue in office, despite the serious accusations against him. “Basically we are in a situation in which Abdo’s actions are consistent with the perception that exists at the international level about the functioning of Paraguayan institutions. Velázquez’s actions coincide with the margin of manipulation of these institutions, ”she pointed out.
For the analyst, this situation reflects a perception that already existed among sectors of the citizenry and that is now moving to the international level. For Duarte, this situation damages the country’s image and leaves Paraguayan institutions in a bad light.
Selva Castiñeira, a political scientist, said that because the US embassy refuses to hand over the documents they have and that affect Velázquez, the Public Ministry should act and clarify the accusations. “The Prosecutor’s Office should act, opening an investigation. With this, the absence and impunity of the Public Ministry can be seen, as happened with Horacio Cartes at the time. The Prosecutor’s Office is the only one that can demonstrate and it is not acting, ”she commented.
When asked about Abdo’s statements to a television channel, where he suggests that Velázquez resign, the analyst affirms that this suggests between the lines that he himself has more information than what the media handles.
