Paraguay President Vetoes 'Hambre Cero' Bill, Citing Redundancy

Paraguay's President Santiago Peña has fully vetoed a congressional bill that sought to return the administration of the "Hambre Cero" (Zero Hunger) school feeding program to the governors of Concepción and Alto Paraná. The Executive argues the legislation is redundant, as it fails to incorporate any new regulatory mandates not already covered by Law N° 7264/2024.

The bill, previously passed by the Senate after modifications by the Chamber of Deputies, would have reinstated control of the program's significant funds to governors Liz Meza and César "Landy" Torres, both from the ANR-HC party. This move followed a period of public outcry and indignation over the perceived misuse of funds, particularly after Governor Liz Meza's extravagant 15th birthday celebration earlier this year.

The veto emphasizes the Executive's stance on maintaining a coherent legal system, avoiding superfluous repetitions. The original project had been presented by ruling party senator Silvio Ovelar in response to the scandal surrounding Governor Meza's party. Despite opposition complaints of "selective forgetting" by ruling party members, the bill's passage through Congress aimed to reassign the program's administration back to the controversial governors.