DistantNews
Support us
Paraguay opposition: Ruling party seeks to delay minimum wage law until after elections
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

Paraguay opposition: Ruling party seeks to delay minimum wage law until after elections

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Paraguay's opposition seeks to modify the minimum wage calculation formula, arguing the current method based solely on inflation is inadequate.
  • The ruling party reportedly wants to postpone the debate on the proposed law until after upcoming elections.
  • Opposition Senator Esperanza Martínez criticized the delay, stating the government fears angering businesses and neglecting citizens' needs.

Paraguayan opposition lawmakers are pushing to change the formula used to calculate annual minimum wage adjustments, arguing that the current system, which relies solely on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), fails to reflect the real cost of living for citizens. The proposed legislation aims to introduce additional variables into the calculation.

It's logical to expect, they don't want to announce that the wage increase will not help Paraguayan families, especially those living on the minimum wage.

— Esperanza MartínezOpposition Senator Esperanza Martínez criticizing the ruling party's delay in addressing the minimum wage bill.

However, the ruling Colorado Party, which holds a majority in the Senate, intends to postpone the debate on the bill until after the upcoming internal party elections, according to opposition Senator Esperanza Martínez. She told ABC Color that the government is hesitant to address the issue before the elections, fearing that any proposed changes could alienate voters or businesses.

Martínez criticized this approach, suggesting that the ruling party is using the upcoming elections as an excuse to avoid difficult decisions. "It's logical to expect, they don't want to announce that the wage increase will not help Paraguayan families, especially those living on the minimum wage," she stated. "Since we are on the eve of the elections, let's just stay as we are, what does it matter afterward if everyone has already voted?"

Since we are on the eve of the elections, let's just stay as we are, what does it matter afterward if everyone has already voted?

— Esperanza MartínezSenator Martínez expressing skepticism about the ruling party's motives for postponing the minimum wage debate.

The opposition senator further argued that the government is reluctant to improve the minimum wage calculation methodology if it risks upsetting the business sector, which favors maintaining the current formula. "Let people continue to go hungry, and when the elections are over, then the government will say what it thinks," Martínez added. She insisted that factors such as the costs of food, rent, public transport, education, and healthcare should be considered in the minimum wage adjustments.

Let people continue to go hungry, and when the elections are over, then the government will say what it thinks.

— Esperanza MartínezSenator Martínez accusing the government of neglecting citizens' needs until after the elections.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog