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Paraguay Senator Demands Probe into Officials Over 'Dirty Campaign'
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

Paraguay Senator Demands Probe into Officials Over 'Dirty Campaign'

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • - Opposition Senator Yolanda Paredes calls for an investigation into government officials Gustavo Villate and Juan Roberto Villaverde over a disinformation campaign.
  • Paredes alleges that public funds are being misused to hire individuals for social media attacks against opponents.
  • She questions the role of Villaverde in binational entities and suggests these are used for political services.

Senator Yolanda Paredes has demanded a thorough investigation by the Public Ministry into Minister of Information and Communication Technologies Gustavo Villate and "militant" Juan Roberto "Jimmy" Villaverde. Paredes alleges they are behind a "dirty campaign" of disinformation orchestrated by the government of Santiago Peña.

The red and dirty disinformation campaign of the Santiago Peña government still surprises me.

— Yolanda ParedesOpposition Senator Yolanda Paredes commenting on the government's alleged disinformation tactics.

"The red and dirty disinformation campaign of the Santiago Peña government still surprises me," Paredes stated, adding that the situation is "delicate" and affects everyone. She noted that Villaverde's role in the Yacyretá Binational Entity (EBY) needs clarification, suggesting that "binational entities are used as a bargaining chip to simulate providing work and using it for other services."

binational entities are used as a bargaining chip to simulate providing work and using it for other services.

— Yolanda ParedesSenator Paredes questioning the use of funds from binational entities.

Paredes also pointed fingers at the government for allegedly hiring people to attack opponents on social media. "Journalists who are hired and paid by the ruling party to attack; this cannot be funded with public money, and that is the question. They can do what they want in their private lives, but the money from the Binational entities is not being controlled by anyone and is used as a petty cash drawer," she asserted.

Journalists who are hired and paid by the ruling party to attack; this cannot be funded with public money, and that is the question.

— Yolanda ParedesSenator Paredes accusing the government of using public funds to pay journalists for online attacks.

Her call follows revelations that Villaverde, initially presented as a mere Colorado Party "militant," was actually commissioned to the Mitic ministry for "2 months and 20 days." This contradicts earlier denials by President Peña, Minister Villate, and Vice Minister of Communications Alejandra Duarte Albospino, who had all disavowed any state connection to Villaverde. The senator expressed regret that Villate and Villaverde are not yet being investigated by the Prosecutor's Office for their alleged involvement in the disinformation campaign.

The money from the Binational entities is not being controlled by anyone and is used as a petty cash drawer.

— Yolanda ParedesSenator Paredes criticizing the financial management of binational entities.
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.

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