Paraguay
Amarilla Takes Villalba to Task Over Use of Electronic Ballot Boxes for 2026 Municipal Elections
The senator questioned his colleague’s change of position in the debate over voting machines. He also rejected an initiative to raise tariffs on a drug used against obesity.
On the eve of the 2026 municipal elections, the debate over the voting system once again strained the atmosphere in the Senate. According to ABC Color, Senator Dionisio Amarilla took aim at Ever Villalba over his criticism of electronic ballot boxes and reproached him for having previously backed funding for the Electoral Justice to rent those devices.
According to that outlet, Amarilla recalled that during consideration of the General Budget of the Nation he had proposed allocating resources to print ballots, but that Villalba supported the line item for the voting machines. In that context, he cast doubt on his colleague’s change of position so close to the elections.
Still according to ABC Color, the lawmaker said that renting the machines will cost 33 million dollars, while using ballots would have required 3 million dollars. At the same time, he said it makes no sense to discourage voter participation with questions about the reliability of the equipment when there are two weeks left.
In another part of the interview cited by ABC Color, Amarilla also criticized tax proposals promoted by the ruling party. In particular, he described as ridiculous the initiative seeking to increase tariffs on tirzepatide, a medication used to treat obesity, and said he would reject that measure.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.
