In reality, the main face does not change, reiterates Shirley Rivera as leader of the legislature to guarantee the hegemony of the party in power for the fourth year, let’s go, and by her side will be three MPs from the same faction, in addition to another five their allies until now.
The list proposed by Boris Spain on October 18, 2022 easily obtained the necessary votes (101 out of a possible 160), as the election was scheduled when everything was “cooked” in favor of the ruling party, like many other legislative initiatives that have taken place throughout the years have crept in.
But Rivera’s arrival on the board was for several reasons, most notably the reversal of the horrific image of his predecessor Allan Rodríguez, who was criticized by the opposition benches and was even close to Vamos for his pronounced dictatorial management.
Their opposition also grew on a social level, especially after the explicit approval of the 2021 budget, which led to massive demonstrations, riots and even the burning of parliament buildings.
It was necessary to refresh the face; A woman entered the scene, the third to preside over this high state body, and it didn’t matter to sacrifice Rodríguez because basically, despite the makeup, it would be more the same.
If we look at the preliminary record of the Rivera Legislature with the naked eye, it appears very productive with 55 ordinances approved. 28 total as a speaker since her first debut as deputy versus 54 of the previous board in two years.
Coldly, she shows more efficiency with numbers, although she also experienced convulsive moments when, just on March 8, the plenary had to revoke the approval of the controversial law for the protection of life and family with very regressive articles. However, it didn’t generate as much social unrest as its predecessor.
His role becomes even more important now, in an election year, when many interests are at stake for the Vamos party and its stated desire to remain in power.
Given the panorama, the question that remains in the pipeline is how capable Rivera will be of not losing old supporters and even adding others as the left or more progressive opposition benches are already well defined.
On behalf of the solid allies, the bloc leader of the Partido de Avanzada Nacional and now presidential candidate for Vamos, Manuel Conde, assures that survival lies in open and frank dialogue, which must continue.
Standing at the gates of an election (June 25) is in itself a complex scenario for any Congress, but Conde believes that “there is a political maturity to adhere to good legislation and the principle of the national good keep”.
In other words, Vamos members also agree that it will be a year of (macro)economic reactivation (the slogan of Alejandro Giammattei’s government) over the activities of the candidates who will flaunt themselves in front of their voters to ensure re-election.
However, not everyone thinks the same way. Bernardo Arévalo from Semilla admits that although he initially had the impression that Rivera would correct bad practices and abuses, over time he continued actions aimed at ignoring the opposition.
There were times when we weren’t even allowed to speak in plenary, he pointed out.
Winaq bloc leader Sandra Gutiérrez supports the same vision when she describes the board’s leadership as authoritarian, although she admits she maneuvered well not to look too jaded and was adept at dealing with allies negotiate was called “the steamroller official”.
Now Rivera’s role will be crucial as it is in his hands that the government retains control of one of the three branches of state in a crucial year.
Will the alliance remain solid? It’s very possible. For now, some, like the Valor party, gradually split and are now among the most critical banks of Vamos.
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