Villa Elisa mayoral candidate convicted of attempted extortion, vows to appeal

Jeremías Sansón Villalba, a municipal councilor and mayoral candidate for the 'Yo Creo' party in Villa Elisa, has been convicted in the first instance for attempted extortion. The Public Ministry announced that prosecutor Federico Delfino secured the conviction, which carries a sentence of one year and six months of imprisonment.

The case involved Villalba allegedly demanding $15,000 from a naturalized Paraguayan citizen to drop a domestic violence complaint against the victim. Villalba's defense attorney, Gaspar Mereles, has vehemently denied the charges, calling the conviction "incredible" and stating they will appeal, asserting that the evidence presented did not prove his client's co-authorship in the alleged extortion.

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You are free today, the process continues and you will continue to work.

Despite the conviction, Villalba has declared his candidacy remains active. He posted a video on social media with his lawyer, refuting the accusations and vowing to prove his innocence on appeal. Mereles emphasized that Villalba remains free as the legal process continues.

The conviction and Villalba's continued candidacy come as efforts to unify opposition parties in Villa Elisa for the October municipal elections have failed. This political fragmentation could impact the race against the ruling ANR party, particularly in a district considered a stronghold of the Central governor, Ricardo Estigarribia.

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This fact did not exist and will not exist because we are going to demonstrate the innocence of the convicted person in the appeal.