Kattya González, a well-known opposition senator from Paraguay, was expelled from the Senate and lost his seat. Her expulsion was approved by the vote of 23 senators out of 45. She had been accused by another senator of having illicitly used his influence to favor three of her collaborators. No police investigation was launched into the allegations.
Some opposition members pointed out that the majority senators who voted for the expulsion had violated a regulation approved by themselves in December, according to which the votes of two thirds of the senators are required to expel a member of the Senate, therefore 30 out of 45 (while for the constitution a simple majority is sufficient).
González was elected in 2023 with the center-left National Encounter Party (PEN). She was the fourth candidate who received the most votes, and she had harshly criticized other MPs accused of illicit practices. The expulsion of a parliamentarian over unconfirmed allegations has sparked small protests, which observers say is a sign of the erosion of democracy in the country. González had started a hunger strike on Saturday to oppose a constitutional reform proposed by President Santiago Peña, which would allow incumbent presidents to run for a second term. Peña was elected with the Partido Colorado, which has governed Paraguay almost continuously since 1946.
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