Asunción: Colorado Party’s city council member César Ojeda was elected temporary mayor of the capital with 13 votes out of 24. There were just as many votes as necessary.
There was another ANR candidate, Julio Ullón, who received 5 votes. That said, both together have 18 votes, even though the city council only has 11 Colorados. The opposition had enough votes to elect its own candidate, but their candidate, Federico Franco Troche, only got six votes. Ojeda received more opposition votes than Franco himself. A certificate of poverty, which shows how much the opposition is selling itself to the Colorados, or rather to Horacio Cartes, who leads the election campaign in Nenecho.
What happened did not surprise anyone, as these political groups were never very adept at the art of unity. But it is something that makes us think about the concept of “opposition” that we are currently using. The winner will only stay in office for a few months, but it’s a crucial time right now: the election campaign. Oscar “Nenecho” Rodríguez needs a successor from his ranks so that the city administration can act in his favor during election campaign times.
Mr César Ojeda did not become mayor because he was popular. On the contrary, he’s the most anonymous city councilor, but with an invincible virtue: Nenecho and Cartes can absolutely trust him. As if Nenecho continued to sit in the chair. Ojeda is his avatar, that virtual identity that video game users choose to represent. An avatar does not cause problems for its owner.
Let’s start with the Liberals, who in theory are most interested in preventing their candidate for mayor, Eduardo Nakayama, from being harmed by the ANR. Although the vote was secret, there is no denying that Augusto Wagner and his gang – Félix Ayala and Ramón Ortíz – acted as always: to support those who assure them that the status quo will not change. The incredible councilor Wagner – reserved and unaffected by public statements – is the most influential liberal politician in Asunción.
Over the past two decades, thanks to a thick web of favors, influences, pressure and favorable alliances, it has consolidated a power in the shadows with which every mayor must negotiate. Nakayama is caught in his infallible web: he cannot criticize him because he needs his votes, although it is not certain that he will get them if he fails to criticize him. When he becomes mayor, he will fare like his predecessors: he will have to negotiate with Wagner.
We need to redefine what we call the opposition. Not everything that isn’t Colorado deserves to be called that. Beyond ideologies and party flags, new limits must be set. The dichotomy between democracy and mafia has long since mixed all the colors.
–
The purpose of this service is to increase the value of the news and to establish a more fluid contact with the readers. Comments should be adapted to the subject of the article. The commentators are solely responsible for the content, which should be factual and clear. Swear words and personal insults as well as racism will not be tolerated.
