Paraguay’s President Mario Abdo Benítez faces mass protests against the mismanagement of the Federal Government in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and now calls for his impeachment. Paraguayan Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA) decided to request political judgment to remove by impeachment Abdo Benítez amid a record number of coronavirus infections.

The request for political judgment for removal is a similar process to impeachment in Brazil. To remove Abdo Benítez from power, 53 favorable votes are needed – PLRA has 29 deputies. Abdo Benítez’s party, Colorado, holds the majority of seats in Congress. For now, the group does not support his departure.

If the impeachment is approved, Abdo Benítez will be the first president to be removed because of the health crisis caused by COVID-19.

The protests against the health crisis that hit the country reached the fifth day on Tuesday 9. Paraguay faces a lack of ICU beds and medication, in addition to a rise in the infection curve. Besides, Health Minister Julio Borba acknowledged that there is no forecast for the arrival of new doses of vaccine.