COMMENTARY: Could a Long-Ruling Party Fall in Paraguay?
OLIVER STUENKEL
APRIL 27, 2023
Corruption allegations, a drought, and economic struggles may threaten the Colorado Party’s seven-decade rule in upcoming elections.
In the past fifteen free and fair presidential elections across Latin America, opposition candidates rode to office on a wave of deep-seated anti-incumbency sentiment, irrespective of ideological orientation. On Sunday, this trend will be up against another long-standing tradition in Paraguay—the dominance of the Colorado Party—when voters head to the polls to elect their next president.
A massive incumbency advantage and a formidable political machine have allowed the Colorado Party to govern Paraguay for much of the past seventy years, from the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner from 1954 to 1989 through the first free elections in 1993 until now. The conservative Colorado Party’s Santiago Peña is facing Authentic Liberal Radical Party (PLRA) candidate Efraín Alegre, who in 2018 obtained 45 percent of the votes but lost to the current president, Mario Abdo. The centrist Alegre is heading a big-tent alliance ranging from the left to the center-right of twenty-three parties and two movements that have united to defeat the Colorado Party.
Contrary to most of its neighbors, Paraguay does not allow presidents to seek reelection, nor does it have a runoff contest. Polls predict a tight race, but they may fail to factor in the Colorado Party’s capability to mobilize election day turnout. Voters will also choose new governors, regional legislators, and deputies for the House of Representatives and Senators on Sunday.
Alegre and his running mate, former housing minister Soledad Núñez, chose “mafia or fatherland” as one of the key themes of their campaign and promised improvements in the economy, public services, and the fight against corruption. If victorious, Núñez would be the first female vice president in Paraguay’s history (all presidents have been men). Peña, on the other hand, has run a classic conservative campaign focused on crime, drugs, and his opposition to the legalization of abortion—usually popular views in what is often seen as Latin America’s most Catholic country.
More:
https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/04/27/could-long-ruling-party-fall-in-paraguay-pub-89630