The new designations by the United States of a former president, a current vice president, and his lawyer and collaborator, as “significantly corrupt” do not constitute interference in the internal affairs of Paraguay, but rather an exercise of sovereignty of the North American nation”, The politicians, lawyers and former legislators Hugo Estigarribia and Miguel Abdón Saguier coincide in their assessments.
For Estigarribia, the political impact of the accusation of these actors, Horacio Cartes, Hugo Velázquez and Juan Carlos Duarte, by a country that is a world leader, is so strong, “which leaves them knocked out, but since their political operators in Congress , they are trying to whitewash themselves and leave the sending country of the message as if it did its homework wrong”.
Hence, in his opinion, summoning the chancellor, as the Senate directive does for Monday, “is a waste of time for this House and for the chancellor himself, because he has nothing to do with it, since the declaration of significantly corrupt is the United States with respect to its territory.
His reading of the facts is that they are trying to divert attention “from those who are the real bad guys in the movie to those who make a sovereign statement and place them as the bad guys.”
He insists that in addition to wasting time and money, considering what legislators are paid, it is diverting attention from a great internal political impact that generates an international accusation, such as significantly corrupt, “to these actors who with their conduct provoke in Paraguayan politics and about which the Prosecutor’s Office or the Justice do nothing with respect to these designated characters “.
He adds that there are people, in the Republican Force movement, who do not like the candidacy of Arnoldo Wiens, who replaces Hugo Velázquez, accused of participating in acts of significant corruption, because he was more in tune with his political project; “And so they tell him not to resign as vice president. Which is a way to put a stop to Marito (Abdo Benítez) for choosing Wiens ”.
Dr. Saguier believes, for his part, that what the people accused of significant corruption should do is apologize to the Paraguayan nation, “because they are leaving the name of our country in mud up to the neck because of these scoundrels.”
Remember that it was “an open secret”, that since the 1980s “everyone knew what the story of Mr. Cartes is and the same happens with, no less, than the vice president, Velázquez”.
For him it is a real affront to the Republic. “They are throwing mud at the sacred symbols of our nation”, she questions about the acts of corruption of which they are accused. “They would have to make a minimal self-criticism. But it turns out that they present themselves as angels from heaven who have to be lit with incense,” he said.
He regrets that here in Paraguay the State agencies that have in their hands the obligation and duty “to combat all these scourges” do not do so.
The US decision to prevent people they consider highly corrupt from entering their territory falls under their sovereignty.
It is not true what the chauvinists who now beat their chests and speak of political interference say. Miguel Abdón Saguier, politician, former Senator.
For me it is a sovereign decision of the US announced by the corresponding channels, which is its ambassador. I do not see any violation of anything, not the Vienna Convention, nor interference in internal affairs. Hugo Estigarribia, Lawyer, Professor.