BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – More than 600 couples got married simultaneously in Asuncion on Saturday. Paraguay. Thousands of people said, “I” as part of the government’s initiative to make civil weddings more accessible nationwide.
Called “Unified by Love and Protected by Law,” the campaign aims to legalize relationships that abandon marriage for economic or bureaucratic reasons, preventing couples from receiving benefits such as social security, pensions and inheritance rights.
Civil Registration and First Lady’s office prioritized weddings for long-term couples who are considered vulnerable. Almost half of the newlyweds brought their children to the ceremony.
“It’s time to get married,” said Jonathan Galay, who has lived with her partner Fiorella Rivera for six years. The couple is now looking forward to family parties and their honeymoon.
“We had the opportunity and we took advantage of it,” Rivera told The Associated Press, adding, “It’s important to formalize everything.”
Last week, 120 couples tied the knot at a mass ceremony at Ciudad Del Este. Earlier this year, another event took place in Boqueron, where the first Indigenous couple got married for free.
“The number of people registered in this campaign shows that Paraguay believes in love, believes in family and formalizing marriage,” said Roque Strubing, communications director for the Civil Registry Bureau.
Vice President Pedro Ariana celebrated the union of X, saying “All Paraguayans have access to the right to formalize the union.”
The ceremony filled the gymnasiums of sports offices across the country, with couples in all sorts of colours watching from the stands. Religious leaders, one Catholic and one Protestant blessed most couples.
The newlyweds left a marriage certificate and a small gift.
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Associated Press journalists Jorge Saenz, Emilio Sanabria of Buenos Aires and Gabriela Sá Pessoa of Sao Paulo.
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