RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Paraguayan presidential pre-candidate, Santiago Peña, toured the town of Teniente Irala Fernández in the department of Presidente Hayes. He highlighted the government’s plans and addressed the native peoples very specifically.
“What we want is that there is progress, that there is quality of life, that children have the possibility of studying, that young people have the possibility of working, that parents and grandparents have a better quality of life, more money in their pockets and food in their stomachs, that they do not have to go to the capital to beg for what is yours, what belongs to you,” he said.
During his speech, Peña referred to those present in the Guarani language. “‘Heta’ (“many”) the need, but also ‘heta’ the resource; there are many resources in Paraguay; Paraguay is a rich country that unfortunately is badly administered, there are many resources, and they are lost because there are thieves and lying politicians,” he sentenced.
The Honor Colorado pre-candidate recalled that there were many advances in terms of roads and infrastructure works during his administration as Minister of Finance. “As Minister of Finance, during the presidency of Mr. Horacio Cartes, we began to see progress, the Transchaco route we did, we started, we went to get the money, we did the bidding, and the following government began to build,” he stressed.
“The road that goes from Carmelo Peralta to Loma Plata we also got because we wanted the road to be a tool for more jobs, but the road is not enough; we also have to bring industries, sources of work, jobs, improve care for our native peoples,” he stressed.
Peña said that the attention must be focused on the Chaco and promised to work more closely with the indigenous people. “We are going to make Indi come to work here and not that the representatives and leaders have to go to Asunción, and that happens because they think what is best for the authorities and not what is best for the people; we have to think about the people,” he argued.
“We come to ask you to dream with us, to work with us to make Paraguay a better place; we all have dreams, we all want to improve, but elections come, and we sell our dream out of necessity, out of lies, and I ask you today not to sell your dreams on December 18,” he referred.
Finally, the former Minister of Finance stressed that it is a personal conviction to dream of a better Paraguay. “I assure you that we will live better, better times will come, progress will come to Paraguay, but it has to be progress for everyone,” he added. “In particular, we have a debt with our native peoples that we have to fulfill; today, we have to respond, we have to provide solutions, and my commitment is to work with you,” he concluded.
With information from La Nación