Wiens determined to 'stand tall' despite 'political persecution,' says González Vaesken

Paraguayan congressman Luis “Tiki” González Vaesken has labeled the legal case against presidential hopeful Arnoldo Wiens as clear "political persecution." Wiens, a candidate for the ANR party in the upcoming 2028 presidential election, has vowed to remain strong and continue his campaign despite the accusations.

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He was told from the beginning that they would persecute him, and well, there is the result of all that announcement.

González Vaesken stated that the accusations against Wiens were anticipated, with attempts to use the justice system to remove him from the race. However, he asserted that these efforts have so far failed. Wiens reportedly feels strengthened by the situation, viewing the perceived persecution as a source of extra motivation.

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This persecution does not affect him at all. It strengthens him, because sometimes when one feels persecuted, it gives extra motivation, so we spoke with him precisely and he is more than motivated to continue in this fight.

Despite Wiens's resolve, González Vaesken expressed concern about the broader impact on party unity, particularly concerning the municipal elections on October 4. He described the current state of unity within the party as "held together by saliva," suggesting that genuine cohesion is lacking.

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And we always say that unity is held together by saliva, each one has to work within their sector, it is difficult to share a stage with people who persecute you. So, those are realities that we have to understand, that each one surely when we are 'List 1', we work within our sector because real unity does not exist.

González Vaesken believes that true unity does not exist, forcing each faction to work independently within their respective sectors. He emphasized that sharing a platform with those perceived as persecutors is difficult. To counter the challenges, he urged supporters to remain active and "stand tall," warning that inaction would allow their opponents to achieve their objectives.

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The only way is to try to stand tall, keep working because if we sit still, they will achieve the objective.