Senator Amarilla: Peña's Inaction on Ambassador Leite Confirms Cartes's Control
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla criticized Ambassador Gustavo Leite's remarks about the absence of bribery during the Horacio Cartes administration.
- Amarilla stated that if President Santiago Peña does not dismiss Leite, it confirms Cartes's continued influence.
- She alleged that bribery was prevalent during Cartes's presidency and questioned Peña's authority.
Senator Celeste Amarilla has sharply criticized Paraguayan Ambassador to the United States, Gustavo Leite, for his recent statements downplaying corruption during the previous Horacio Cartes administration. Leite's assertion that there was "not even the smell of bribery" during Cartes's term (2013-2018) has drawn strong condemnation from the opposition.
If Peña doesn't fire Leite, it confirms that Cartes is in charge.
Amarilla, a prominent liberal senator, argued that Ambassador Leite's continued presence in his post, despite his controversial remarks, suggests that former President Horacio Cartes still wields significant power within the current government. She stated that if President Santiago Peña fails to remove Leite, it would confirm that Cartes, not Peña, is the one truly in charge of the country.
I have reports that the smell of bribery during Cartes's government could be smelled from San Pablo, and this, apparently, also.
The senator further alleged that the "smell of bribery" was palpable during Cartes's presidency, directly contradicting Leite's claims. Amarilla expressed concern over Peña's perceived weakness, suggesting that his inaction in dismissing Leite emboldens critics and raises serious questions about presidential authority and the government's commitment to combating corruption.
He shouldn't have been appointed in the first place. And with this blunder, and there were other milder ones before, he should have already been recalled to Paraguay. Peña cannot allow this.
Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.