Over 600 couples tie the knot in Asunción, Paraguay's mass civil wedding

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — More than 600 couples married simultaneously Saturday in Asunción, Paraguay. Thousands said “I do” in unison as part of a government initiative to make civil weddings more accessible across the country.

The campaign, called “United by Love and Protected by Law,” aims to legalize relationships in which couples forgo marriage because of economic or bureaucratic reasons, preventing them from receiving benefits such as social security, pensions and inheritance rights.

The Civil Registry and the first lady’s office prioritized weddings for long-term couples considered vulnerable. Nearly half of the newlyweds brought their children to the ceremony.

“It was about time to get married,” said Jonathan Garay, who has lived with his partner, Fiorella Rivera, for six years. The couple now looks forward to a family party and their honeymoon.

“We had the opportunity and we took advantage of it,” Rivera told The Associated Press, adding that it was important “to formalize everything.”

Last week, 120 couples also tied the knot in a mass ceremony in Ciudad del Este. Earlier this year, another event was held in Boquerón, where for the first time Indigenous couples were married free of charge.

“The number of people registered in this campaign shows that Paraguay does believe in love, does believe in family and does believe in the formalization of marriage,” said Roque Strubing, the communications director of the Civil Registry.

Vice President Pedro Alliana celebrated the unions on X, saying “all Paraguayans have access to the right to formalize their union.”

The ceremony filled the National Sports Secretariat gymnasium with couples dressed in every color, while families watched from the stands. Religious leaders, one Catholic and one Protestant, blessed most of the couples.

The newlyweds left with marriage certificates and small gifts.

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Associated Press journalists Jorge Saenz and Emilio Sanabria in Buenos Aires and Gabriela Sá Pessoa in Sao Paulo contributed.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america