Paraguay
Governors Question Carlos Núñez Over His Accusations About Hambre Cero
The Council of Governors rejected the statements by the Cartista senator and demanded proof after he called them thieves. The dispute adds to the internal tensions within Honor Colorado ahead of the municipal elections.
The Council of Governors, chaired by César Cesarito Sosa, pushed back against Cartista Senator Carlos Núñez Aguero over the accusations he made in the latest session of the Upper House about the handling of funds from the Hambre Cero program, according to Última Hora.
In a statement from the G15, the departmental leaders said that calling elected officials “thieves, scoundrels and bandits” does not amount to oversight, but rather to disqualification, and stressed that an accusation of that gravity must be accompanied by evidence, names, facts and accountability.
They also questioned the use of parliamentary immunity for that kind of statement. As they argued, that constitutional protection cannot become “a blank check for offense” or an exemption from responsibility for one’s words.
Núñez had criticized the administration of Hambre Cero resources by the governor’s offices and said that millions of guaraníes were being stolen. Even so, the governors said that if there are irregularities, it is up to the competent institutions to investigate and impose sanctions.
According to data from the Ministry of Economy and Finance cited by Última Hora, the departmental administrations received G. 1,121,051 million through August under the school lunch program.
In their response, the governors insisted that they will continue managing public resources and subjecting themselves to the corresponding controls, and demanded that any accusation be backed by evidence. They also suggested that the senator’s criticism may have a selective target, though without giving further details.
The clash comes amid the internal tensions within Honor Colorado, which deepened after Horacio Cartes announced Juan Carlos Baruja as Pedro Alliana’s running mate. According to Última Hora, the governors had promoted Cesarito Sosa, while Alliana said he would not accept impositions and would define his ticket after the October 4 elections.
The debate also moved into Congress over the possible intention of some governors to run for the Senate. Núñez, who had temporarily distanced himself from Honor Colorado to form the 11 de Setiembre caucus together with Alfonso Noria and other party members, returned to the ruling bloc in June, always according to Última Hora.
Sources
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 conduct its own reporting on this event.
