Senator Accuses Paraguayan Government of Wasting Millions on Propaganda Amidst Hospital Medicine Shortages

Senator Esperanza Martínez has launched a strong critique against the government of Santiago Peña, accusing it of prioritizing millions in communication campaigns over the critical shortage of medicines in public hospitals. Speaking in the Senate, Martínez questioned the allocation of substantial resources to institutional communication efforts while essential medical supplies remain unavailable to citizens.

Martínez argued that the government exploited the recent World Cup to concentrate advertising spending on favored media outlets. She asserted that these funds should have been directed towards purchasing necessary medical supplies. The senator was advocating for a bill that seeks to redirect funds designated for government propaganda and influencer campaigns toward acquiring medicines. However, she expressed pessimism about the bill's prospects, citing a lack of action from the Senate's Finance and Budget Committee.

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In an economy of war, priorities should be linked to solving people's problems, not financing propaganda.

The senator emphasized the severity of the health crisis, stating that the lack of medicines and supplies affects thousands of Paraguayan families daily. She contrasted the government's claims of an "economy of war," used to justify budget restrictions, with its continued spending on advertising. "In an economy of war, priorities should be linked to solving people's problems, not financing propaganda," Martínez stated.

Martínez specifically pointed to the "Soy Paraguay, soy un gigante" campaign, managed by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MITIC) and funded by Itaipú Binacional and Entidad Binacional Yacyretá. She alleged that this campaign was launched while public attention was focused on the World Cup, allowing the government to "squander millions of guaranis or dollars" on advertisements for media groups allegedly linked to the current administration. The senator also questioned the transparency of MITIC's fund usage and the selection process for these media outlets.

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When the eyes of the whole world were on the World Cup, the government of Santiago Peña took the opportunity to squander millions of guaranis or dollars on advertisements related to Canal 13, Venus, and GEN, all owned by the Vázquez Group.