PLRA: 'Eternal Councilors' Wagner and Ortiz Secure Another Term in Asunción

Augusto Wagner and Ramón Ortiz, councilors in Asunción for a quarter-century, are poised to secure another term. They are leading in preferential votes within the Liberal Radical Authentic Party (PLRA) list, which supports opposition mayoral candidate Soledad Núñez. The PLRA affiliates in Asunción cast over 19,300 votes for this list, representing 82% of participation.

Wagner, with 8,242 preferential votes, holds the top spot. He is known for his strong support among municipal employees and has faced criticism for his alliance with Núñez. Despite this, Wagner has maintained a distance from public events with Núñez and has not promoted their campaign on social media, likely due to the ongoing corruption investigations into former mayor Oscar Rodríguez's administration, whose accounts Wagner approved.

Ramón Ortiz, another long-serving councilor, follows with 3,368 preferential votes. Other candidates on the list include Christian Bareiro, a dismissed Market No. 4 director and Wagner's operator, who received 2,557 votes, and councilor Fiorella Forestieri with 2,246 votes. Humberto Blasco, who has served 15 years on the council, garnered 1,112 votes.

This election sees a significant portion of the outgoing liberal councilors seeking re-election, raising questions about continuity and accountability, especially given their past approvals of the previous administration's financial records, which are now under scrutiny.