MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan President tells Congress there is too much to be done

There are still “too many pending debts,” Peña reckoned

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña said in his briefing to the new Legislature Monday that he envisioned “a State that is present, efficient, sensitive,” and has “a human face.” He also mentioned “a State that builds the country towards which we want to go: a Paraguay that grows sustainably, that offers a quality of life and equal opportunities, and that projects itself internationally to be a protagonist in the concert of nations.”

Peña also argued that his government plan covered “the current situation of the country in economic, social and security matters, as well as future prospects.”

“Believe me, this Paraguay is possible - and it is getting closer and closer - but this country is not only made by the President and his team; this country is made by all Paraguayans,” he added. “That is why, in presenting the main advances of our administration, we want to dedicate each of the pillars of government to Paraguayans who inspire us, Paraguayans who make a better country and who symbolize those millions of compatriots who get up every morning so that, with their work, talent, and ability, we can make Paraguay move forward.”

In the president's view, citizen insecurity “worries me the most” because “despite the efforts and advances, I am not satisfied at all, and I will be the first to recognize the legitimacy of the citizens' claims.”

“I want Paraguayans to feel safe in our country; this is our campaign promise and we are working to achieve it,” he also pointed out. “Prosperity is the greatest enemy of crime, of division, of hopelessness. The most effective social policy, I always repeat, is economic prosperity,” he insisted.

The head of state also acknowledged shortcomings in education. “Since the beginning of my mandate, we have outlined a clear and ambitious vision to transform education in Paraguay. Our commitment is comprehensive, ranging from early education to technical and university training,” he reckoned. “We want to ensure that every child and young person has access not only to academic knowledge but also to the tools necessary to develop their full potential.”

Regarding healthcare, Peña stressed that his administration aimed at “restructuring services with a network approach, incorporating telemedicine and digital management to achieve the universalization of Primary Health Care” to fulfill the Constitutional obligation “to put the citizen at the center of public policies, supporting people and families in vulnerable situations, guaranteeing their fundamental rights and promoting social equity and social justice.”

“We have to deepen the process of institutionalization and modernization of Paraguay because that is the only path to prosperity. What separates developed countries from others is that, in an organic way, they carry out reforms, and modernize their State and those tasks we must prioritize so that Paraguay occupies the place it deserves,” Peña underlined while admitting there were still “too many pending debts, too many points of improvement, too many Paraguayans who still do not have their basic needs covered.”

To round up his message, Peña also pointed out that he needed “the help of each one of you, of this Congress and of all Paraguayans” to make the country “proud, haughty, free, sovereign, to face the destiny of greatness that history has in store for it.”