MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan President outlines his administration's achievements

Peña also urged some lawmakers to put the common good at the center of their efforts

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña delivered his second management report to Congress, highlighting his administration's achievements over the past two years in areas like education, health, infrastructure, security, and social development.

He emphasized Paraguay's 33 years of uninterrupted democracy and its economic growth, citing an average annual growth rate of 4% between 2003 and 2024, the lowest public debt in Latin America, controlled inflation, and recently achieved investment grade status.

In addition, he stressed the importance of social justice, noting a drop in total poverty from 22.3% to 20.1% and extreme poverty from 4.7% to 4.1% in 2024. He particularly highlighted the “Zero Hunger in Schools” program, which provides meals to over 1 million children, creates jobs for 20,000 workers (mostly women), and supports local agriculture.

Other social initiatives include universal pensions for the elderly, the “Tekoporâ Mbareté” program, land titling, and affordable housing through “Che Roga Porâ.”

He also noted a record high of over 793,000 workers registered with IPS, with more than 85,000 new additions in 22 months. Peña also spoke about programs for children, such as “Semillas del Futuro” (Seeds of the Future) and “Familias de la Guarda” (Guardian Families), which will build 100 Comprehensive Early Childhood Care Centers.

In healthcare, Peña acknowledged past challenges but committed to unprecedented investment in hospital infrastructure, citing projects in Coronel Oviedo and Itapúa, in addition to plans for several other cities.

For education, he highlighted the “Paraguayan Government Scholarships” program, awarding 6,796 scholarships in 2025, and the creation of 17 model schools.

Peña concluded by reaffirming his commitment to a unified Paraguay with social justice, economic stability, and quality healthcare and education. He also used the opportunity to address his opponents, stating that the current Congress is the “most democratic in history” and criticizing those who “govern from comfortable offices” without understanding the public's needs.

He emphasized that the Paraguayan model is globally recognized and that the country is known for its elections, not coups, urging a deepening of democracy to avoid “populism and the outdated left.”

The president also admitted he was not painting a rosy picture of the country and insisted that the current one was the most democratic Congress in Paraguay's history.

“Some critics who have never had to face a party election talk about a steamroller. Those same critics forget that we have the most democratic Congress in our history. Those without votes will never like you; they don't know what it's like to walk the streets and ask people for their votes,” Peña said while urging some lawmakers to put the common good at the center of their efforts.

“It may seem like just another day, but it is a day of celebration and gathering to worship democracy. The president of the Republic highlights his achievements, like-minded legislators highlight them, and opponents criticize them. The media reports that the president painted another country,” he further noted.