Questioning the Use of Public Works in Campaigning for the Municipal Elections in Paraguay

Amid the process leading up to the municipal elections, ABC Color warned that the use of public resources for electoral positioning remains in place, despite the fact that this practice is prohibited by law. According to the outlet, the lack of effective sanctions leads candidates to show on social media public works, delivery of supplies, medicines and official events as part of their campaign.

One of the cases mentioned by ABC Color is that of the Colorado candidate for mayor of Fernando de la Mora, Ariel Ojeda, who said on his social media that he began managing benefits and development for the city before taking office. According to that post, he said he spoke with the Minister of Public Works, Claudia Centurión, to promote the paving of a street located in front of the Fernando de la Mora Palace of Justice.

Still according to ABC Color, Ojeda said he carried out efforts before the head of Public Works and that, after a promise of execution, work began a few days later. The newspaper noted that Centurión is one of the most criticized ministers in the government of Santiago Peña for her management of road infrastructure.

The outlet also contrasted those interventions with the condition of roads that continue to have problems, and cited route PY08 as an example. It also added that this is not an isolated case: it also mentioned Julio Trinidad, in Areguá, and Hugo Farías, in Luque, among the leaders who share on social media paving work carried out with public resources.

Sources

• ABC Color

About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not do its own reporting on this fact.