Paraguayan diaspora seeks congressional seats and voting reforms

Migrant organizations representing Paraguayans living abroad are petitioning the National Congress to expand their political rights. The central proposal includes the creation of reserved seats in Parliament specifically for the diaspora, with representatives to be elected by citizens residing outside the country.

In addition to legislative representation, migrant groups are calling for the restitution of automatic enrollment in the Permanent Civic Registry. They argue that the repeal of Law 6.951, which previously allowed for automatic voter registration, constituted a setback for the political rights of citizens living abroad.

While the modification of Article 120 of the National Constitution previously granted Paraguayans abroad the right to vote in national elections, activists argue that suffrage must be accompanied by effective participation in state institutions to ensure they are not merely ‘declared absent by a matter of geography.’