"Photo Editing of 'Two-Faced Senator' Sparks Election Fraud Controversy"

Paraguay's Congressman Aquino Accused of 'Election Fraud'
"Fraud Against Voters" Criticism Leads Court to Intervene
"Just Like Filters... Be Angry About Drug Trafficking" Explanation

A female senator in Paraguay has been embroiled in a 'election fraud' controversy. This is because the photo printed on the ballot paper during the general election looks noticeably different from her current appearance.

According to local media such as TN on the 4th (local time), Norma Aquino (53), who was elected as a candidate of the National Renewal Party in the Paraguayan general election last April, has recently been called the 'two-faced senator.'

Norma Aquino's photo in her 20s (left) and current photo. [Image source=TN news screen capture]

The photo used by Aquino's side on the ballot paper during the election turned out to be a photo of herself in her 20s, excessively retouched and used on the ballot paper.

The fact that the photo on the ballot paper and her current appearance are completely different was confirmed belatedly ahead of her inauguration. A citizen said, "In Paraguay, many people vote based on the party without seeing the candidate's face," adding, "It is only natural to assume that the photo is of the current candidate."

As this fact became known, anger and ridicule erupted on social networking services (SNS). Criticisms against Senator Aquino flooded in, such as "He deceived voters," "Is the woman in the photo really that person?" and "The fastest aging senator in the world."

As the controversy spread, the Paraguayan Election Court also issued an opinion on the matter. Judge Modesto Nunez stated, "It is appropriate to use recent photos on the ballot paper along with the candidate's name and symbol so that voters can identify them."

However, he also explained, "It is not a crime for an elected candidate to use an old photo, and excessive retouching of the photo is not a violation of election law."

Despite the court's judgment, as the controversy continued, Senator Aquino stated, "It is my photo, so what is the problem?" Regarding the excessive photo retouching, she said, "Don't people use a lot of filters when taking photos these days? I like it very much too."

She went on to point out, "The people's anger should be directed at those involved in politics and drug trafficking." She also referred to the massive loans provided during the pandemic, saying, "There are those who took 1.6 billion dollars from the people and have now left power."

Meanwhile, in some countries including Paraguay, photos are included on ballot papers to help voters identify candidates. This is to protect illiterate voters who cannot read the candidate's name and affiliated party written in text, and to distinguish candidates with the same name.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.