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Poverty Exit Figures are Falsified and Do Not Match Reality, Say Critics
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

Poverty Exit Figures are Falsified and Do Not Match Reality, Say Critics

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • An opposition senator claims official figures on poverty reduction in Paraguay are misleading and do not reflect the reality on the ground.
  • President Santiago Peña reported significant drops in total and extreme poverty, citing historical achievements in his address to Congress.
  • A government ally acknowledged positive security results but stressed the urgent need to address high medication costs and accessibility in public health.

Official government statistics on poverty reduction in Paraguay are being challenged by opposition figures. Senator Líder Amarilla of the PLRA party stated that the numbers presented by President Santiago Peña, indicating thousands have escaped poverty, do not align with the current social reality. Amarilla described the official discourse as "quite maquillado," or heavily polished, to mask pressing needs and widespread problems.

Very evident, for example, is the issue of people who have left poverty. These are numbers that do not align with social reality.

— Líder AmarillaExpressing skepticism about the official poverty reduction figures.

During his address to Congress, President Peña reported that total poverty had decreased from 19.6% to 16% and extreme poverty from 3.7% to 2.4% in the past year. He further stated that between 2022 and 2025, over 493,000 people had overcome poverty and 180,000 had left extreme poverty. Peña hailed these figures as "historical, unprecedented since poverty has been measured in Paraguay."

We all know there are pressing needs and many other problems. So, I definitely think it is, as commonly said, a quite maquillado discourse. Very evident.

— Líder AmarillaFurther criticizing the government's presentation of poverty statistics.

However, Senator Luis Pettengill, an ally of the ruling Colorado Party (ANR), offered a more nuanced view. While finding the president's report interesting and acknowledging positive results in security, Pettengill identified the high cost and accessibility of medicines as the government's most significant debt. He highlighted ongoing legislative efforts to find solutions for the expensive medications families must afford.

Well, and everything can be improved.

— Luis PettengillCommenting on the president's report.

Pettengill also pointed to a potential communication issue, suggesting that many of the government's achievements under Peña had not been adequately communicated. He stressed that continuous improvement is needed in areas such as health and education, implying that while progress may have been made, it hasn't always been effectively conveyed to the public.

Good, and all can be improved. Well, and in terms of security, the results are positive, but in public health, it is urgent to improve access to medicines and the high costs that families have to bear.

— Luis PettengillAcknowledging security improvements while highlighting health sector challenges.
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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