Paraguayan Senator Criticizes President Peña Over Medication Shortages and Debt

Senator Gustavo Leite of Paraguay has sharply criticized President Santiago Peña's administration, specifically targeting the handling of medication shortages and mounting debts to pharmaceutical companies. Despite denying any personal conflict with Peña, Leite asserted that the president's decisions are not infallible and that Peña bears full responsibility for both successes and failures of his government.

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Neither everything I say is right, nor everything the President of the Republic does is right.

"Neither everything I say is right, nor everything the President of the Republic does is right," Leite stated during an interview, emphasizing that internal party disagreements should not be misconstrued as a political rupture. He further elaborated that Peña alone is accountable for the administration's actions, whether they are judged as correct or erroneous. Leite also suggested that the ruling Colorado Party needs to reclaim its "flag of change" and defended his right to question the government's direction, even while belonging to the same political movement.

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The ones he did wrong will also be his sole authorship.

Leite's critique extended to energy policy and state planning, but he placed particular emphasis on the dire financial situation within the Ministry of Health. He alleged that funds originally allocated for medication purchases were diverted to cover long-standing debts. "The purchase of medicine is again suffering," he remarked, describing the situation as "the worst of worlds." He questioned the accumulation of obligations exceeding budgeted amounts and demanded accountability for those who authorized such expenditures. Leite estimated that state debt to pharmaceutical companies could balloon to $2 billion, a stark increase from the initial budget of approximately $600 million, and called for investigations by oversight bodies and the Prosecutor's Office.

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The purchase of medicine is again suffering.

The senator also criticized the government's financial maneuvering, referring to it as "bicicleteo" (a term implying financial shuffling or cycling debt). He explained that refinancing obligations through new debt issuances ultimately increases the cost for the state. Leite acknowledged that the scarcity of medicines is a persistent issue, not a new problem. He expressed concern over the approval of multi-million dollar commitments while patients continue to face shortages.

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I want to know who violated or who violated and I want to know what the consequences will be.