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Lawmakers approved a draft declaration “anti-rights”: they oppose abortion and same-sex marriage.

The Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies made explicit a shift it had already announced: through a declaration project voted on in the chamber, the legislative body proclaimed itself “pro-life and pro-family” .

The draft declaration was an initiative of Representative Del Pilar Medina (National Republican Association-Colorado Party, ANR) and came as no surprise, as it had been circulating for several weeks. However, some legislators doubted it would actually be voted on and approved. The previous week it had been sent to committee for review, and no one believed it would make it past those stages.

“The document is based on preserving the values ​​that support the family as a fundamental institution (…) It means being in favor of the dignity of every human being regardless of their condition and being against any action that threatens life,” says the approved bill, published on the Lower House website.

READ ALSO The Minister of Education supported the anti-rights march in Asunción

“This violates the Paraguayan Constitution.”
The news was no surprise to LGBT+ and human rights activists. David González, an activist with Somos Pytyvohára, explained to Presentes: “We human rights activists knew perfectly well that working with this Chamber of Deputies and this Senate was going to be difficult. But now, it’s impossible. What’s happening in Paraguay is very regrettable. The aim is to prevent any progress on all rights: those of women, of LGBTQ+ people, of the most vulnerable .”

For González, this is a further radical step in an anti-rights trend that the country has been following since the previous administration. This trend has become even more radical under the current administration of Mario Abdo Benítez's Colorado Party: “ By declaring themselves pro-life and pro-family, they are directly adopting a religious and therefore unconstitutional position. Because the Paraguayan state is a secular state. Therefore, they are violating the rights of all people. I think this is a warning for us that the work over the next five years with this government and this parliament is going to be very arduous.”

READ ALSO: The government banned gender-related content in schools

“Pro-life and pro-family is the modern name for intolerance”

As soon as the Chamber of Deputies' declaration was known, the Aireana organization issued a statement: "The anti-gender, anti-women's rights, anti-LGBT rights, ultra-conservative, Catholic and evangelical fundamentalist power groups (it's in the masculine plural because they like it) call themselves by a name that has nothing to do with many lives or many families .

The document states that “the political power structure in Paraguay is riddled with these fascist ideas that seek to exclude many people, hiding behind the issue of family.” It then explains what is meant by “pro-life and pro-family.”

“It doesn’t have a literal meaning. Being “pro-life” means being against the right of women (and pregnant people) to decide about their lives and their bodies; it’s basically being against abortion. They never cared about the rest of the lives.”

In an interview with Presentes, Aireana activist Rosa Posa said it was no surprise: “With this government, nothing is a surprise to us. We must remember that the Municipality of Encarnación has already declared itself pro-life and pro-family and tried, fortunately they couldn't, to prohibit the local pride march .”

READ ALSO: Mayor bans Encarnación's first LGBT march

The activist also analyzed that “you can’t even talk about setbacks because it’s not like Paraguay was progressing either,” although she does believe there is social growth. “And above all, I think there is resistance: We are going to continue resisting and fighting. We are not going back into the closet.”

Minority resistance in the Chamber

Among the deputies who opposed it was Celeste Amarilla (PLRA): “We cannot declare ourselves in favor of a movement, an ideology, a way of thinking or seeing life, because we do not share the principles of that group; therefore, we could not claim such a title behind the backs of another percentage of citizens who do not share this; we are not here to legislate for only one group,” the legislator said in the chamber, although her position was in the minority among her peers.

He also requested that his name not be included anywhere in the document approving the project. He added, “We represent all Paraguayans. I am against abortion, but that doesn't allow me to oppose those who think differently from me.”

Another who opposed the measure was Sebastián Villarejo (PPQ), who argued that “the Chamber of Deputies, as part of a branch of government, should not take positions like these (…) We do not support the request as a Chamber. We believe it is appropriate for deputies, parliamentary groups, and parties to take positions, but not the Chamber itself,” he said.