The political basis of “Stronism” had that culture of favoring loyalists and relatives, with public positions, through the allocation of land, services and other benefits and advantages of the State,” explained the academic, quoted by the newspaper Última Hora.

The also Doctor in History from the National University of Asunción inserted this scourge in “the patrimonial State, which treats public affairs as something personal,” in an analysis that followed the scandal about legislators who appoint their relatives “in juicy positions in the Congress”.

The history of nepotism in the country included stages such as the first half of the 20th century, in which the factor of kinship and the vision that the State only belonged to a certain political group prevailed, he recalled.

Caballero located the historical origins of this evil from Spanish times after 1492, when “the governor was prohibited from marrying a subject of his jurisdiction to avoid links with local families.”

The professor’s reflection followed criticism this Thursday from the newspaper Última Hora of the “mediatized scandal due to acts of nepotism in Parliament, which broke out in the last weeks of 2023 around the children of the president of Congress (Silvio Ovelar) and the vice president of the Republic (Pedro Alliana), hired in a privileged situation.”

Paraguay needs a Parliament without nepotism and other privileges and vices, the newspaper published this Friday in an editorial against “bad practices in the Legislature that favor relatives and friends.”

“It’s just the tip of the iceberg,” says Última Hora.

In the Legislature, friends like Senator (David) Rivas are favored; State properties are ruthlessly expropriated; and the dozens of cases of appointments of his relatives go –almost always– unpunished.”

The publication recalled how last year, “a few days before the elections (April 30) and with a ‘defunded’ 2023 General Budget, the decision was made to make extra payments for the benefit of 74,500 officials, an amount over seven million dollars.”

For Última Hora, “the relatives, friends and recommendations of our politicians continue to bleed the budget, while the children of deputies and senators, liberals and ‘colorados’, denounced daily through the media and social networks, remain in the positions for the most part.

The academic Herib Caballero Campos also holds a Master’s Degree in History of the Hispanic World, from the Higher Council for Scientific Research of Spain, and winner of the Diploma of Advanced Studies in History of the Hispanic World, at the University of San Pablo.

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