Paraguay Vice President Hugo Velazquez Moreno Resigns After Being Included in U.S. Corruption List

Paraguay Vice President Hugo Velazquez Moreno has announced his intention to resign after being included in the U.S. corruption list.

Al Jazeera reported that U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay Marc Ostfield announced on Friday that Velazquez was included in the U.S. corruption list for reportedly offering a bribe to a public official. Paraguay's vice president said that he will be resigning from his official position to fight the allegations against him.

In an interview with a local radio station, Velazquez said that the allegations hit him "like a bucket of cold water." The vice president added that he did not know what the U.S. ambassador was referring to because he did not give too many details.

Velazquez was a member of President Mario Abdo Benitez's administration and was seen to run as a presidential candidate for the Colorado Party in the next elections. However, Velazquez said he would drop his candidacy and file his resignation to Congress after Ostfield made the announcement.

The vice president of Paraguay maintained that he is innocent.

Paraguay Vice President Hugo Velazquez Moreno Resigns

Velazquez denied the accusation but explained that his resignation was intended to protect his party. He said on a local radio station that he was speaking with a clear conscience, according to a Reuters report.

Abdo also issued a response after the allegations against his vice president came to light, saying that continuing the candidacy of the vice president was unacceptable. The president added that he says it "with pain" as Velazquez is a friend and a colleague.

Valazquez' associate Juan Carlos Duarte had also resigned and said that he would cooperate with authorities. However, he did not comment directly on the accusations.

Duarte said that he resigned as it is a public position and he has to "honor the institutions."

A statement for U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Duarte had offered to bribe a Paraguayan public official in an attempt to "obstruct an investigation" that would risk Velazquez and his "financial interests."

U.S. Corruption List

Duarte allegedly offered a bribe of more than $1 million to a public official to hinder an investigation of the vice president's financial interests, according to Ostfield.

The U.S. ambassador described bribery as an "act consistent with an apparent pattern of shared corrupt activity," as reported by The Washington Post.

Duarte has also served as a legal counsel for the Yacyretá Bi-National Entity. It operates the Yacyreta Dam, which is both owned by Paraguay and Argentina.

Duarte and Velazquez, including their immediate family members, are not allowed to enter the United States.

Ostfield said that the "corrupt acts" of the Paraguayan officials undermine the confidence of the nation's people in the stability of democratic institutions in the country. He added that the decision was not political, adding the U.S. planned to continue to work closely with Abdo regarding several issues such as corruption, impunity, and money laundering.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Hugo Velázquez, significativamente corrupto - from ABC TV Paraguay