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PLRA Primaries: Villalba Denounces Threats, Calls for Mass Participation
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

PLRA Primaries: Villalba Denounces Threats, Calls for Mass Participation

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Senator Ever Villalba, a candidate for PLRA president, urged members to vote in Sunday's party primaries.
  • Villalba positions his List 9 as the "radical opposition" controlling the government, contrasting with rivals who he says represent "silence" or "alliance" with the ruling party.
  • He denounced threats against his family and denied pre-drafting a fraud complaint, while also expressing concerns about voting machines.

Senator Ever Villalba, running for the presidency of the Partido Liberal Radical Auténtico (PLRA) under List 9, called on the party's 1,531,856 members to participate in large numbers in the upcoming Sunday primaries. Villalba presented his candidacy as representing a "radical opposition" focused on controlling and scrutinizing the government. He sharply contrasted his platform with those of his rivals, whom he characterized as advocating for "silence" or seeking to "ally" the party with the ruling "cartismo" faction.

If they are resorting to that, it is because it bothers them that authentic liberalism is resurging.

— Ever VillalbaVillalba commented on the alleged threats against his family, interpreting them as a sign of his campaign's growing influence.

Villalba's campaign has also been marked by accusations of threats against his family, including receiving photographs of his minor children. Despite these alleged intimidations, he stated that he has not yet filed a formal fraud complaint, though he suggested such actions were a sign that "authentic liberalism is resurging." He also addressed concerns regarding the voting machines, stating that while his list had identified "16 ways of vulnerability," some improvements have been made. However, he maintained that "many security measures still need to be incorporated" to ensure voters' confidence in the integrity of their ballots.

We invite them to go in mass to participate so we can say that from June 7, the Liberal Party is strong, that there is a Liberal Party for a long time and a new stage begins.

— Ever VillalbaVillalba urged party members to vote in the upcoming primaries to revitalize the PLRA.

His campaign, which includes the son of former party leader Efraín Alegre, aims to re-establish the Liberal Party's political prominence. Villalba specifically criticized Senator Dionisio Amarilla of the Lista 100 Diálogo Azul, accusing his sector of proposing an alliance with the current government. He also referred to Alcides Riveros of Lista 3 Nuevo Liberalismo, supported by Governor Ricardo Estigarribia, as representing only "silence." Villalba urged members to vote en masse to ensure the party's strength and the beginning of a "new era" for the PLRA starting June 7.

The voting machines are the same as you having a...

— Ever VillalbaVillalba expressed ongoing concerns about the security of the voting machines used in the party primaries.
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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