Paraguayan deputy claims electoral judges favor ruling party

Paraguayan legislator Rocío Vallejo has voiced strong criticism against electoral judges in the country's interior, accusing them of issuing rulings that unfairly benefit candidates from the ruling Colorado Party (ANR). Vallejo, a legislator for PPQ, stated that these judges are making decisions based on political affiliation rather than legal merit.

During an interview with ABC Cardinal, Vallejo detailed how, in her view, judges are approving cases for Colorado Party candidates despite irregularities. Conversely, she claims that cases involving opposition candidates are rejected, sometimes through what she described as misinterpretations or even violations of constitutional articles to block candidacies. "The judges are deciding by color, if it's red they approve, if it's another color they reject," she denounced.

Vallejo pointed to specific instances, including the case in Santa Rita where electoral judge Pedro Guzmán reportedly left Edgar Torres, brother of the governor of Alto Paraná, as the sole mayoral candidate. She also mentioned electoral judge Martha Sarubbi in Caazapá, daughter of a former ANR congressman, as allegedly issuing rulings to favor Colorado candidates in several Itapúa districts. "Here decisions are made by color, violating everything possible," Vallejo asserted, calling the Santa Rita situation "scandalous."

The legislator appealed to the Electoral Justice to resolve these issues while respecting pluralism, representative democracy, and the law. She expressed concern that short appeal deadlines could prevent opposition candidates from having their cases heard, potentially leaving them without candidacies in various districts. Vallejo is seeking a "forceful response" from the Electoral Justice to demonstrate that democracy, not just a single party's color, is being upheld.