President-elect of Paraguay wants to boost ties with Venezuela

Paraguay’s president-elect, Santiago Peña, affirmed this May 2 that the relationship with Venezuela must continue to be boosted since they are two “brother countries.”

“Thank you very much (Venezuelan President) Nicolás Maduro for the congratulations.”

“Paraguay and Venezuela are brotherly countries that have to continue strengthening ties for the good of their peoples,” Peña said on his Twitter account.

Maduro reiterated this Tuesday (May 2) his willingness to work for the union of his country and Paraguay.

“Last Sunday, April 30, I had a telephone contact with the new president-elect of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, to whom I expressed my congratulations on behalf of the Venezuelan people and the willingness to work for the good of our countries through respect and union,” Maduro said in his Twitter account.

Peña, who won Sunday’s elections with 42.7% of the votes, indicated his intention to reestablish relations with Venezuela and Maduro’s government.

The current president of Paraguay, Mario Abdo Benítez, broke diplomatic relations with Venezuela and closed the embassy of Asunción in Caracas in January 2019.

He also maintained his recognition of the oppositionist Juan Guaidó as president in charge of Venezuela.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan National Assembly (unicameral parliament) demanded in 2021 that Paraguay’s parliament initiate an investigation into the negotiations between Guaidó and Abdo Benítez for the alleged theft of US$360 million product of debt with state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).

With information from Sputnik