Paraguay’s vice president to stay on after corruption accusations

Hugo Velazquez reverses his resolution to resign after the US final week accused him of involvement in ‘vital’ corruption.

The vice chairman of Paraguay has reversed a plan to resign this week, saying he won’t hand over his publish till he has particulars of the USA’s corruption claims in opposition to him.

Hugo Velazquez advised reporters on Thursday that he had initially provided to resign final week as he “assumed” there was a home investigation in opposition to him.

However on Wednesday, he obtained discover from the Paraguay prosecutor’s workplace stating “that there isn’t any case in opposition to me”, Velazquez mentioned.

“I had talked about once I spoke with you that I used to be going to resign from workplace … in an effort to go and defend myself as a standard citizen,” Velazquez advised an area radio station.

“Yesterday afternoon I came upon that the Public Ministry determined to ask the USA Embassy for the info in regards to the criticism in opposition to me. In the present day, I would not have a platform to defend myself as a result of there isn’t any investigation in the USA both,” he added.

Final Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned a Velazquez affiliate had provided a bribe to a Paraguayan public official to “hinder an investigation that threatened the Vice President and his monetary pursuits”.

Blinken mentioned Velazquez can be barred from getting into the US on account of his “involvement in vital corruption, together with bribery of a public official and interference in public processes”.

“Corrupt acts resembling these additionally contribute to diminished confidence within the authorities and public perceptions of corruption and impunity throughout the workplace of the Paraguayan Vice President,” the highest US diplomat mentioned in a press release.

The accusation unleashed a political earthquake in Paraguay, the place Velazquez was set to be the federal government’s presidential candidate in main elections for the conservative Colorado Social gathering in December.

Velazquez, who has denied wrongdoing, nonetheless renounced his candidacy and mentioned he would go away the vice presidency this week.

However whereas the 54-year-old on Thursday mentioned he wouldn’t resign as vice chairman now, he additionally mentioned in a press release that his resolution to not be a presidential candidate is “immovable”.

In July, the US additionally introduced a ban on former Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes, accusing the businessman-turned-politician of corruption and hyperlinks to “terrorist” teams.

Cartes’ political motion will face Velazquez’s within the primaries and the winner can be a candidate for the final elections scheduled for April 2023. Cartes’ candidate, former minister Santiago Pena, remains to be within the operating.