Asunción – Santiago Peña assumed the presidency of Paraguay yesterday and promised that the country will re-emerge as “a giant” during his tenure, while surrounded by Latin American rulers, he stressed that the region is called to be a “protagonist” for having the resources the world needs.
“Success is to make all Paraguayans better off and for the world to witness the resurgence of a giant…”, said the conservative Peña, 44 years old and an economist by training (see separate note), in his inauguration speech in Asuncion.
He added that he intends to “turn Paraguay into the center of Latin American integration,” in words he spoke before the presidents of Argentina, Alberto Fernández; Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou; Bolivia, Luis Arce; and Chile, Gabriel Boric.
For Spain, King Felipe VI attended. For the United States were the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Deb Haaland, and Congresswoman Norma Torres. In addition, the ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Francisco Mora, attended.
Paraguay, a major world producer of food, but landlocked, is a member of Mercosur along with Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
Trade
Regarding the free trade agreement between that bloc and the European Union (EU), he stressed that Paraguay will continue negotiating with Brussels, but without compromising its “sovereignty, territory, values or culture.”
Likewise, from the esplanade of the Palacio de López, the seat of the Presidency, he referred to the challenges of the world stage, especially the war in Ukraine, and warned that the region has the main resources that the world demands.
“At the international level, three global challenges generate geopolitical tensions: access to water, food security and energy sufficiency. Since Paraguay is a power in these three great issues, we are called to be protagonists in the concert of nations,” said Peña.
Referring to the war in Ukraine, Peña stressed that although Paraguay maintains ties with Russia, it cannot remain indifferent “before the military aggression suffered by the Ukrainian people, with terrible consequences for human development.”
In his oath in front of the president of Congress, Silvio Ovelar, he celebrated “the victory of freedom and democracy.”
“To those who have supported me, to those who have chosen a different option, and to my occasional opponents, I tell you that I am counting on each one of you to contribute to building consensus for the common good,” added the president.
Peña, the youngest president that Paraguay has had in the democratic era, belongs to the right-wing Colorado Party, which has governed the country since the 1950s almost without interruption, with the sole exception of the mandate of the leftist Fernando Lugo (2008-2012). . Within this, he is a reference to the liberal faction that responds to former president Horacio Cartes.
The new president succeeds the also Colorado Mario Abdo Benítez, facing Cartes in the internal party.
The act was attended by the Vice President of Taiwan, William Lai, favorite to win the presidential elections next year.
Paraguay is the only South American country that maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan and not with China, which considers the self-governing island part of its territory. In mid-July, Peña visited Taiwan as confirmation of the importance that this link will have during his government.
Goals
In his speech, he promised business-friendly policies focused on job creation, low taxes and attracting foreign investment to help the economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and a drought that last year reduced to more half the soybean crop.
In his speech, Peña said that he will work to combat corruption in State institutions, fight against poverty that affects almost 25% of the population, and improve education, health, and security. “It is time for a pact to achieve the quality of life that Paraguayan families deserve,” he said. “Patience and tolerance are exhausted by the weariness of citizens who see their leaders fight while supplies are lacking in schools, medicines in hospitals, and security on the streets.”
Peña will also challenge relations with the United States after the complaints against his political mentor, former President Cartes, whom he gratefully recalled at the beginning of his speech. Peña was Minister of Finance under Cartes before starting the political career that led him to the first magistracy.
Source: Ambito
