Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Asuncion (Agenzia Fides) - Yesterday afternoon with 21 votes against, the Senators of Paraguay rejected the draft law entitled "against any kind of discrimination". There were 17 votes in favor, while one abstained and six were absent. The note sent to Agenzia Fides by a local source reports the reasons that led the Senators to vote against: "a law of this sort surely leads to total confusion in schools and in our education system", said one senator. In fact, when you start talking about the family structure which is not composed of father and mother, man and woman, this creates confusion.
Another senator noted that "the implementation and monitoring of this type of law would give too much power to the Commission on Human Rights and take away authority to the National Prosecutor". The Commission defends the rights of common law couple and the union of two people of the same sex.
The Bishops of Paraguay had issued on November 12 a press release calling for respect for the family. This is the text: "The State, represented by its institutions, in this case by the Chamber of Senators, has the legal and moral obligation to ensure the rights of the family and of the people, safeguarding dignity and integrity. We cannot allow legal gaps to be created that undermine the values which underpin the nation of Paraguay". (CE) (Agenzia Fides 14/11/2014)
