Mothers Protest in Paraguay, Demand Enforcement of Child Support Law

Mothers gathered at the Panteón de los Héroes in Paraguay to protest what they describe as judicial impunity and economic violence. Organized as Madres Autónomas, Guerreras y Leonas, they used the eve of Children's Day to publicly display grievances and demand the enforcement of the Ley Memby, a law designed to combat parental delinquency in child support payments.

Paola Palavecino, a proponent of the Ley Memby and its amendments, explained that the current system allows for inconsistencies, with five judges in Asunción applying different standards for child support, which she argued harms children. The core demand of the Ley Memby is to unify the daily wage used for calculating child support obligations across the country.

Furthermore, the protesters are pushing for automatic wage garnishment, a provision within the law that permits up to 50% of a debtor's income to be withheld for child support. Palavecino criticized a precedent set by ministers Carolina Llanes and Ramírez Candia, suggesting their actions create additional legal hurdles and imply that failure to pay child support is not a criminal offense.

The protest highlighted specific cases, including a father allegedly owing over 200 million guaraníes in child support who reportedly faced no issues during a recent national rally. The mothers argue that such situations constitute economic violence against mothers, and that the judicial system's leniency grants impunity to non-paying parents.