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 y

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