Senator Nakayama: 'People are fed up with Hernán Rivas, he has to go'
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Opposition Senator Eduardo Nakayama insists Senator Hernán Rivas, under investigation for a potentially fake university degree, must be expelled from the Senate.
- The Senate is debating Rivas's request for a leave of absence, which the opposition and some within his own party oppose.
- Nakayama argues Rivas should lose his investiture, but acknowledges expulsion requires a difficult two-thirds majority, while rejecting the leave request needs only a simple majority.
The political machinations surrounding Senator Hernán Rivas's alleged fake university degree have reached a boiling point in Paraguay's Senate. Opposition Senator Eduardo Nakayama has been a vocal critic, demanding Rivas's expulsion and labeling the situation as unacceptable to the public. The current debate centers on Rivas's request for a leave of absence, a move the opposition sees as a way to circumvent accountability.
La gente está harta de Hernán Rivas, se tiene que ir
Nakayama, speaking to ABC Cardinal, articulated the opposition's stance: Rivas's request for leave is unconstitutional, as the constitution only allows for such permits for diplomatic appointments. The senator argues that the appropriate action is the loss of investiture, a more severe consequence. However, the path to expulsion is fraught with political challenges, requiring a two-thirds majority in a Senate where the ruling Colorado Party, Rivas's party, holds a majority.
lo que corresponde en el caso del senador Rivas es la pérdida de investidura
This situation highlights the deep political divisions within Paraguay. While the opposition and dissident factions of the Colorado Party unite against Rivas, the ruling party's grip on power makes his removal difficult. The opposition's strategy now focuses on rejecting the leave request, a more achievable goal that would still represent a significant political setback for Rivas and his allies. The public's sentiment, as expressed by Nakayama, appears to be one of frustration and a desire for accountability, suggesting that this scandal could have broader implications for the ruling party.
la Constitución Nacional solo prevé el otorgamiento de permisos parlamentarios para legisladores que sean designados para integrar el cuerpo diplomático de la República.
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.
More Stories
From Our Blog
What Gets Lost (and Found) When News Is Translated
The Critical Role of Diaspora Media in Global News
What Travellers Should Know About Countries with Restricted Press
A Digital Nomad's Guide to Following Local News
How the Same Story Looks Different in Different Countries
