“I see an interesting generational renewal to build trust and initiate processes” Interview with Enrique Cosp (PDP)

By Marcos Pérez Talia.

Following the 2021 Municipal Elections Special, we bring you the reflection of one of the candidates for Councilor of Asunción for the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), option No. 1, Enrique Cosp.

What would be your three main lines of action in case you reach the Municipal Board of Asunción?

The first thing would be to put the house and the administration in order. If we do not organize the internal bureaucracy in a better way, all the projects that we may have will not materialize. We need a bureaucracy that operationalizes the ideas that are on paper. We must improve the quality of human resources and also transfer people who are idle. There is administrative overcrowding in some spaces; for example, the Board has about 1,300 officers for 24 councilors. The municipality’s opening hours can be extended to after 6:00 p.m., which is the time when people leave their work. The workers identified as idle could be put in here, or in other municipal centers that can be strengthened.

Secondly, I would work on the recovery of public spaces. We have a great deficit of green areas and spaces for socialization. Today, the citizens of Asunción depend a lot on the private sector to socialize: we have to go to the Shopping Mall or to a cafeteria, when we should also be able to meet in the streets, or in other public spaces that allows for interaction between neighbors. Therefore, we need more community centers. A great example is the Loma San Jerónimo Community Center, which is working very well and could be replicated elsewhere. Recovering public spaces also means recovering the municipal lands usurped by the Colorado Party to make sectionals. There is not even much discussion there, it would only take some political force to recover those properties. We are also aware that there are spaces that are in the hands of private individuals.

Moreover, there are large spaces that are in the hands of the armed forces, spaces that citizens cannot use, and that do not seem necessary for the national defense to own. As an example, we have the Infantry Division’s patio, located where Colon Avenue ends. What role does this natural space have, which can be a beautiful public space, as the courtyard of the Infantry? In this case, it could be convenient to do a swap of national government debt for properties. According to the city’s Mayor, Rodríguez, the national government owes the municipality of Asuncion approximately 50 million dollars of unpaid fees. A part of the debt can be exchanged for properties. It is a win-win strategy for everyone. I was born and raised in the Sajonia neighbourhood, which has a beautiful potential of public space in the Navy´s property. It surely has one of the best natural viewpoints to the river, and today the citizens do not have access. Why don’t we make an agreement so that citizens can access, at least in a small corridor, and the municipality make an investment so that there is adequate space for the viewpoint? This can be replicated elsewhere.

Now more than ever, the opposition has to work together, and win big, and although it is not a guarantee of anything, without this, 2023 looks rather complicated. We have to win big and strong to build inter-party trust to reach 2023. 

A third line of action would be to make the city grow upwards, and although this does not entirely depend on the municipality, we can push this strategy in various ways. For example, if the city does not grow upwards, services become more expensive, the more the radius extends and the lower the population density, the more expensive services are. Thus, it is cheaper for the municipality for a garbage truck to collect waste from 5000 people in a radius of a few kilometers, than to collect waste from 5000 people within a radius of many kilometers. This is the same with houses. Asunción is becoming a city for the middle and upper-middle class. Part of the solution is to grow upwards, to increase the supply of that type of housing and subsidize this type of housing at social prices for a sector of the population. There are very interesting projects such as the Costanera Sur, the new Tacumbú neighborhood in El Bañado, which has good plans and designs to make this an orderly neighborhood, with parks and high-rise homes for the people. This should be for people who already live in the bañados, but also for the people who are outside the city and who cannot find affordable housing in Asunción. With this, the city provides housing and also generates a social plus which is the social interaction between different social groups. Today the people of the bañados only interact with each other. A mixture of groups can have a very positive social integration factor. The municipality has to give its OK, along with the provision of services, it could also allow for private investments and give some facilities to those who are going to invest with private capital.

The group of councilors that supports Eduardo Nakayama is quite large and diverse. In the event of governing, how would you harmonize such a heterogeneous government alliance?

In comparison to national politics, at the municipal level it is fairly easy to find coincidences. Surely the majority would agree on for example, cutting irregularities, recovering public properties, improving bureaucratic machinery, prioritizing certain types of works. I believe that most of us agree, at least with those I spoke to, that the storm drain needs to be strengthened to end the floods.

I am sure that we will have disagreements in the four years, but I am also optimistic that there will be great potential for agreement and that disagreements will not get in the way of what we do agree on.

I also see an interesting generational renewal. I am not one of those who over-idealizes youth. When you meet people, it is easier to build trust and initiate processes. In this younger generation, several of us already coincide in different spaces and that can help build trust.

In 2006 Evanhy won, in 2010 Samaniego and in 2015 Mario Ferreiro. In many cases the career and profile of the Mayor seem quite different. In your opinion, what political profile does the Asunción electorate seek in each municipal election?

I find it difficult to generalize and there will be infinite variables, but I detect a common element which is the appetite for something different, for novelty. That is why you see many changes in the profiles. Evanhy came from the media and culture sector, Arnaldo Samaniego, who is the opposite, came from the political world of the Colorado Party. Then we move on to Mario Ferreiro, a communicator who is once again very different.

I see that there is always an appetite for “I am not liking what is happening so I am going to do something different.” It is surely much more complex but I see as a common factor that when there is dissatisfaction, which is almost always present, something new is sought.

Regarding the move in social networks with the hashtag #ANRNeverAgain, (ANR stands for the Republican National Association) do you think that it will weaken the electoral strength of the ANR? Or is it more of a Twitter anecdote?

It is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it surely affects the Colorado Party because it fosters this state of dissatisfaction and that can hit hard. On the other hand, some question whether this will put the Colorado electorate on the defensive. Someone once said that it seems that the colorados are like those field dogs, they fight with each other all the time, but a dog comes from outside and they are all going to bark together.

Beyond the hashtag, there is a large part of the electorate that is not very flexible in traditional parties. Red votes red and blue votes blue. But I see an increase in the group of people that could be willing to change their vote. I have seen, read and heard many comments from people who say they are from a red family but are tired and are going to vote for Nakayama. While the majority of the Colorado electorate will vote for their party’s candidate, there is a growing population that wants to try something else.

Less than 2 years until the general elections, what perspectives do you see in the opposition?

It is still a question mark, but I believe that these municipal elections are a friendly fútbol match, in preparation for the major match of 2023. It will test the maturity, the political musculature and the ability to articulate agreements of the opposition. I wonder, if we do not agree when it comes to a city, how are we going to agree when it comes to an entire country?

Now more than ever, the opposition has to work together, and win big, and although it is not a guarantee of anything, without this, 2023 looks rather complicated. We have to win big and strong to build inter-party trust to reach 2023.