Senator Lilian Samaniego is a key operator of the ruling party and must explain who financed the hiring of the consulting firm specializing in lobbying.
Through a form from the United States Department of Justice, called FARA, which is public information, it was verified that the official senator Lilian Samaniego, during her recent visit to the northern country last July, actually managed to meet with US authorities thanks to the efforts of a consulting firm dedicated to lobbying. In this way, it is confirmed that the Colorado ruling party, spurred by the Government of Mario Abdo Benítez, had direct intervention and was operating before United States authorities to influence the image of former President Horacio Cartes, who a few weeks later was designated as ” significantly corrupt” by the Secretary of State.
By Jorge Torres-Romero
This is indicated by the Registry of Foreign Agents (“FARA”), which is a legal document required when any foreign person or entity hires a principal to carry out procedures before government authorities, that is, a lobbyist. In this case, the consultant hired by Samaniego is Donald J. Planty of the firm Planty & Associates LLC.
According to the document to which we had access, the contract was signed on July 8, and the table describing the nature and method of execution of the agreement or understanding explains that it is an open agreement (with no established duration). to organize regular meetings of the Paraguayan legislator with officials and individuals in Washington, DC.
This is the form of the Department of Justice of the United States, called FARA, which is public information, in which the name of the official senator Lilian Samaniego appears, representing the Paraguayan government.
It is specified below that the senator has verbally agreed to compensate Planty & Asociados with a fee of US$ 7,500 (G. 51 million) for the next three-day visit to the US capital.
Regarding the activities that it planned to carry out as part of the agreement, the consultant Donald J. Planty of the firm Planty & Associates LLC, describes that the registrant will be in charge of organizing meetings with counterparts/interlocutors of the US government. as well as from the private sector, leaders and NGO’s during the parliamentarian’s visit.
The same Department of Justice document shows the amount paid by Senator Lilian Samaniego for hiring a consultant in charge of lobbying with US authorities.
The FARA is a public disclosure statute originally enacted in 1938 as a legislative response to the extensive foreign propaganda activities in the US during the lead up to World War II.
The US Department of Justice, which is the agency that enforces and administers FARA, has also issued advisory opinions and other guidance on interpreting the law.
In the case of Senator Samaniego’s visit, the designated agent, Donald J. Planty, was authorized by law to organize political activities designed to “in any way influence” “any agency or official of the United States Government” or “any section of the public within the United States,” with reference to “the domestic or foreign policies of the United States or… the political or public interests, policies, or relations of a government of a foreign country of a foreign political party ”. This is a broad term that encompasses lobbying, public relations activities, and even tourism promotion.
Likewise, among its actions it is planned to provide certain public relations or political-related services.
SAMANIEGO BOASTED OF THE MEETINGS HE HAD
A few days after her return to our country, Senator Lilian Samaniego, who serves as president of the Committee on Foreign Relations and International Affairs of the Upper House, summoned the journalists assigned to the Senate and in an impromptu press conference, reported in details of the mission she had as a legislator. According to what she explained to the press, she met in Washington with Mark Wells, deputy assistant secretary for the Southern Cone of the Department of State.
With the senior official, the meeting revolved around the situation of transnational organized crime, the fight in our country against this organization and the evaluation at the regional level. It is not ruled out, said the legislator, that the official visit our country in the coming months.
The senator clarified that this trip to the northern country is systematic, since from time to time she makes it happen to meet with authorities with whom she spoke about defense, security, intelligence and gender issues. In that same context, she reported that, during this last journey, she held meetings and meetings with representatives and references from the Department of State, Justice, the Treasury, and with organizations that seek to defend women’s rights at the international level.
In the week of July 13, the ruling party senator Lilian Samaniego was in Washington DC boasting on her social networks about the meetings she had with US authorities.
Another scheduled meeting was with John Lenczowski, founder, provost and president emeritus, along with Tim Stebbins, vice president of graduate recruitment at the Institute of World Politics. She also met with her American counterpart, Senator Bob Menéndez, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The Paraguayan legislator spoke with him about the visit to be made in September by the president of Congress, Oscar Salomón, to the US Senate.
Likewise, Lilian Samaniego met with her fellow senator Edward J. Markey, member of the subcommittee for the Department of State and International Operations; and, with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, co-chairman of the Anti-Money Laundering Alliance, former Rhodes Island State Attorney General.
Another official meeting took place with Katya Rimkunas, Deputy Regional Director, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Humberto Collado, Program Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Republican Institute. With these people, the topic dealt with the current electoral system of the rights of the State, the strengthening of democracy and gender issues.
