Paraguay: Suspended Congresswoman Who Denounced Dirty Lawmakers

The Liberal Party repudiated the 60-day suspension that the Lower House imposed on congresswoman Celeste Amarilla who affirmed that the majority of lawmakers entered parliament using illicit financing.

RELATED:

Paraguay: Students Demand Universal Access To Higher Education

“Without fear of being wrong, I give to say that at least 60 out of 80 lawmakers are here thanks to dirty money... Now, they pay their bills with their votes and opinions," Amarilla said. 

The sanction against this congresswoman was promoted by the Colorado Party, a right-wing organization that controls the Executive branch and has a majority in the Lower House. 

In response to what happened, the Liberal Party said that the sanction "violates the fundamental principles of democracy, which guarantee lawmakers immunity." 

This party recognized that some of its members have played a "painful role" because they have collaborated in the "authoritarian silencing" of self-criticism.

"Citizens must remain attentive to authoritarian behavior that is systematically placing the institutions in a situation similar to that existing in the dictatorship," the Liberals said, referring to General Alfredo Stroessner's regime (1954-1989), which was supported by Colorado Party.

Amarilla's statements have fostered public debate about the alleged financing of Paraguayan political campaigns through money from drug trafficking. 

On Thursday, the National Anti-Drug Secretary Arnaldo Giuzzio said that when he was a member of the Senate Commission for the Fight Against Drug Trafficking, this institution provided the Prosecutor with information on the links between alleged drug traffickers and politicians.

"So far, the Prosecutor's Office has made no decision based on these data. I have not received reports on those cases, which contained indications that pointed to conversations that lawmakers had with people who were referents of drug trafficking," Guizzio said.