Paraguay Internal Elections: Prosecutor Reports Incidents, Detentions, and Fake Credentials

Paraguay's internal party elections were marred by several incidents, including disputes over the formation of electoral tables, allegations of fraudulent accreditations, and at least one arrest for attempted irregular voting, according to preliminary reports from the Prosecutor's Office on Sunday.

Fiscala Sandra Ledesma presented a preliminary assessment of the issues encountered during the internal party elections. She stated that the Public Ministry received numerous complaints concerning the composition of electoral tables, leading to conflicts at various polling stations. "Many people arrive late and want to substitute members. That's where the conflicts begin," Ledesma explained.

Further complicating the process, Ledesma reported that complaints regarding allegedly altered accreditation documents were received starting Saturday. These documents reportedly belonged to movements not registered to participate in the current elections. An investigation has been launched into a case at Escuela Brasil, where suspected fake accreditations were seized. Those involved could face charges for producing non-authentic documents, violating the Electoral Code, and falsifying elections.

In Quyquyhó, the internal elections for the Colorado Party were temporarily halted following a disturbance on Saturday, when a mob attempted to enter a polling station. The local electoral prosecutor is currently verifying that ballot boxes remain sealed before authorizing the resumption of voting. Additionally, a single arrest was confirmed in Katuete after an individual allegedly attempted to vote using another person's identity card and a false identification document. This marks the only reported detention during the electoral day thus far.