Hugo Velázquez Moreno Explained

Hugo Velázquez Moreno
Office:30th Vice President of Paraguay
President:Mario Abdo Benítez
Term Start:15 August 2018
Term End:15 August 2023
Predecessor:Alicia Pucheta
Successor:Pedro Alliana
Birth Name:Hugo Adalberto Velázquez Moreno
Birth Date:3 July 1966
Birth Place:Asunción, Paraguay
Party:Colorado Party
Profession:Lawyer

Hugo Adalberto Velázquez Moreno (born 3 July 1966) is a Paraguayan politician. He is a former Deputy of the Congress of Paraguay,[1] and he served the President of the Chamber of Deputies from 2014 to 2017. Velázquez was elected Vice President in the 2018 general elections.[2]

In June 2022, he registered his candidacy for president in the 2023 Paraguayan general election.[3] [4] However, on 12 August 2022, Velázquez was designated as "significantly corrupt" by the United States Department of State, who accused him of offering a US$1 million bribe to obstruct an investigation involving him, along with an associate, Juan Carlos Duarte, legal counsel for the Yacyretá Dam, and both men had their visa revoked.[5] [6] As a result, Velázquez announced he was dropping his presidential candidacy, effective immediately.[7] [8] Velázquez also initially announced his resignation as vice president, but the following week, he reversed course and stated that he would not resign from the office, stating that there were no investigations for corruption against him in Paraguay.[9] [10] On 26 January 2023, the United States announced further sanctions against Velázquez, prohibiting him to do business with U.S. companies or have access to U.S. banks under the Magnitsky Act.[11] [12]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hugo Adalberto Velázquez Moreno. https://web.archive.org/web/20180329063518/http://www.diputados.gov.py/ww5/index.php/institucion/diputados-nacionales/diputado-nacional-hugo-adalberto-velazquez-moreno. dead. 29 March 2018. Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay. Spanish. 12 February 2018.
  2. News: Hugo Velázquez a favor de "coloradizar" el próximo gabinete. Hugo Velázquez in favor of "coloradizing" the next cabinet. ABC Color. es. 4 April 2018. 4 April 2018.
  3. News: Hugo Velázquez: "Asumo el desafío más importante de mi vida" . Hugo Velázquez: "I take on the most important challenge of my life" . . es . 15 June 2022 . 16 June 2022.
  4. News: Hugo Velázquez inscribe precandidatura acompañado de aparatosa caravana en la ANR . Hugo Velázquez registers pre-candidacy accompanied by ostentatious caravan in the ANR . . es . 16 June 2022 . 16 June 2022.
  5. News: Hugo Velázquez, "significativamente corrupto": EE.UU. lo acusa de soborno . Hugo Velázquez, "significantly corrupt": the U.S. accuses him of bribery . . es . 12 August 2022 . 12 August 2022.
  6. News: EEUU agrega a su lista de corruptos al vicepresidente Hugo Velázquez . The U.S. adds Vice President Hugo Velázquez to its list of corrupt people . . es . 12 August 2022 . 12 August 2022.
  7. News: Hugo Velázquez renuncia a su precandidatura a la Presidencia . Hugo Velázquez renounces his pre-candidacy for the Presidency . . es . 12 August 2022 . 12 August 2022.
  8. News: Hugo Velázquez renuncia a candidatura presidencial y a la vicepresidencia . Hugo Velázquez renounces presidential candidacy and vice presidency . . es . 12 August 2022 . 12 August 2022.
  9. News: Velázquez reculó y no renunciará a la Vicepresidencia "por el momento" . Velázquez backed down and will not resign from the Vice Presidency "for the time being" . 18 August 2022 . . 18 August 2022 . es.
  10. News: Hugo Velázquez afirma que no es investigado por corrupción y se aferra a la vicepresidencia . Hugo Velázquez affirms that he is not investigated for corruption and clings to the vice presidency . 18 August 2022 . . 18 August 2022 . es.
  11. News: EE.UU. impone fuertes sanciones a Horacio Cartes y Hugo Velázquez . U.S. imposes strong sanctions on Horacio Cartes and Hugo Velázquez . ABC Color . 26 January 2023 . 26 January 2023 . es.
  12. News: EEUU impone sanciones financieras a Horacio Cartes y Hugo Velázquez . US imposes financial sanctions on Horacio Cartes and Hugo Velázquez . Última Hora . 26 January 2023 . 26 January 2023 . es.