Paraguay: Irregularities Alleged in Colorado Party Internal Elections
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Dissident movements within Paraguay's Colorado Party allege irregularities in internal elections in Asunción.
- Accusations include the ruling Honor Colorado faction forming voting tables solely with its members and opening ballot boxes prematurely.
- Supporters of the dissident factions claim they were attacked, and they are calling for the annulment of the vote at one polling station.
Internal elections for Paraguay's Colorado Party have been marred by alleged irregularities in Asunción, with dissident movements accusing the ruling Honor Colorado faction of manipulating the process. Representatives from opposing factions claim that voting tables at the Escuela Nacional General Máximo Santos were exclusively staffed by Honor Colorado members, despite prior agreements for mixed representation. This alleged move prevented opposition members from overseeing the proceedings.
Honor Colorado already formed the tables with its own members.
Further accusations suggest that ballot boxes were opened prematurely and without the presence of representatives from the dissident movements, Colorado Añeteté and Fuerza y Causa Republicana. Alejandra Radice, an electoral representative for Fuerza y Causa Republicana, stated that their members arrived at 6:00 AM to find Honor Colorado had already formed the tables, violating an agreement to do so jointly starting at that hour. She also reported that dissident supporters who arrived later were allegedly attacked, with one individual reportedly warned by police about potential detention for causing a disturbance.
We are going to investigate.
In response to these alleged incidents, the dissident factions have called for the annulment of the vote at the affected polling station. However, Santiago Brizuela, president of the ANR's Independent Electoral Tribunal, stated that they had not yet received reports of irregularities in Asunción and would be investigating the claims. He noted that electoral law permits any eligible elector to form voting tables, a statement that may conflict with the alleged prior agreements between the factions.
any elector that is in conditions
Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.