The senate of Paraguay has removed one of the limited dissenting voices in the country’s political landscape, leading to demonstrations in the capital city of Asunción and raising worries about the vulnerable status of the nation’s democracy.
During a special meeting on Wednesday, Senator Kattya González of the National Meeting Party, which is center-left, was removed from her role for “inappropriately utilizing her authority” while in office.
The senator, who is 46 years old and was elected in 2023, belongs to a minority group of opposition politicians in Paraguay who have left-leaning views. They have denounced the prevalent corruption and openly discussed how the country is increasingly falling under the control of organized crime.
The senators who supported her removal accused González of committing administrative wrongdoing in relation to three state employees under her supervision. Senator Dionisio Amarilla, an ally of the government, stated that the evidence against her is strong and undeniable.
González did not promptly answer a comment request from Reuters.
The Colorado party, a right-leaning party in Paraguay, currently holds the presidency and a majority in both chambers of congress. Additionally, they have control over 15 out of the 17 state governments after the April 2020 elections.
Some people argue that the Colorado party, which has held power for the past 75 years, is attempting to suppress dissent by unjustly removing González from his position.
González expressed her worries about Paraguay’s current state as she spoke to the senate. She emphasized the dire condition of our republic and democracy, attributing it to the influence of organized crime on a temporary majority. As she spoke, a small crowd of anti-government demonstrators showed their support outside the legislative building in Asunción.
The demonstrators expressed concern that her removal marked a regression to the era of dictatorship in Paraguay. A group of individuals brandishing signs shouted, “We will not tolerate dictatorship again!”
In the 2023 election, González received the fourth highest number of votes among senators, gaining public approval for directly confronting legislators under suspicion of misconduct. Her deputy, a lesser-known opposition member, will take her place.
González initiated a hunger strike on Saturday to express her opposition towards President Santiago Peña and his Colorado government’s efforts to push for constitutional amendments that would permit presidential re-election.
Source: theguardian.com
