Paraguay
Dionisio Amarilla questioned Éver Villalba for calling for an audit of voting machines
The senator said it is imprudent to sow doubts about the system just weeks before the 2026 municipal elections. He also reaffirmed his rejection of taxing tirzepatide with a 5% levy.
Senator Dionisio Amarilla criticized his Liberal Party colleague Éver Villalba for calling for an audit of the voting machines when, as he recalled, he had supported their use last year. According to Última Hora, the lawmaker considered that stance contradictory and said that opening up questions two weeks before the municipal elections on October 4 could undermine confidence in the process.
Amarilla pointed out that at the time he had promoted the use of paper ballots instead of electronic equipment, mainly because of the cost involved. According to him, the machines require about USD 33 million for the Paraguayan state, while the paper ballots would have cost close to USD 3 million.
However, he said he does not agree with casting doubt on the system on the eve of the elections. Quoted by Última Hora, he said any possible reviews can be carried out after the election and insisted that prudence is needed so as not to discourage participation.
He also said he does not ignore Villalba’s arguments about the fallibility of the machines, although he stressed that this problem is not new. In that context, he argued that by 2028 clear rules must be set, public hearings held, and technical conditions required that allow the equipment to be fully audited.
In another section, Amarilla announced that he will reject the Cartismo proposal to apply a 5% tax on tirzepatide. According to Última Hora, he argued that pharmaceutical companies are not in agreement either and said that, to improve revenue collection and address the deficit projected in the 2027 General Budget of the Nation, the way forward is to strengthen controls and combat tax evasion.
The bill had been debated last Tuesday in the Chamber of Deputies, where opposition sectors also expressed their rejection, especially because, according to Última Hora, the ruling party seeks to tax that medication for revenue-raising purposes while blocking initiatives to increase the burden on tobacco.
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 do its own reporting on this event.
