Party feud erupts: Lawmaker accuses governor of targeting husband

Paraguayan legislator Carmen Giménez de Ovando publicly denounced Governor Freddy D’Ecclesiis, accusing him of orchestrating the legal prosecution of her husband, Mayor Agustín Ovando. "The family must not be touched," Giménez declared, breaking ranks within the ruling party.

She stated that she had remained silent for too long for the good of the party but could no longer tolerate the situation. Giménez directly blamed Governor D’Ecclesiis for the charges of breach of trust and other offenses against her husband, alleging it stemmed from her political faction's victory over the governor's brother in the recent municipal elections.

The legislator asserted that a group of councilors loyal to Governor D’Ecclesiis initiated the legal action, employing "the crudest styles of political persecution" to intimidate Mayor Ovando. The charges are based on allegations of approximately 1 billion guaranis in undocumented expenses during Ovando's tenure.

Giménez's outburst shattered the image of "republican embrace" and unity that the National Republican Association (ANR) had promoted just days earlier at an event in Asunción. The dispute highlights internal party tensions and power struggles.