Paraguay election coordinator admits not noticing alleged vote-buying

Voters in Caacupé, Paraguay, have raised concerns about alleged vote-buying attempts during internal municipal elections. Several electors reported being accompanied into the "dark room", the voting booth, at the Dr. Raúl Peña school in the Cabañas district.

Roque Cabrera, the coordinator for the Electoral Registry at the school, acknowledged that he did not personally observe or receive formal reports about voters being accompanied. However, he conceded that such actions, if detected, would warrant immediate intervention as they violate electoral norms and the freedom of suffrage.

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No me di cuenta

Cabrera's statements have drawn criticism from some voters who find it troubling that reported incidents could go unnoticed by electoral authorities. They argue that the primary role of coordinators is to ensure elections proceed without external pressure or influence that could compromise voter intent. The lack of timely detection during these internal elections has fueled worries about larger electoral processes.

Similar allegations of voters being accompanied and potentially guided while casting their ballots also surfaced at the Teniente Fariña school, prompting intervention from electoral and police authorities. These repeated reports in different voting locations have reignited calls to strengthen controls and the presence of officials within polling stations, emphasizing that transparency relies not only on rules but also on their enforcement.

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any action that can be interpreted as vote-buying or direction of the vote constitutes a violation of electoral norms and undermines the freedom of suffrage.