Paraguayans went to the polls today to elect the next president. The elections, whose forecasts pointed to it being a close contest, they re-ratified the Colorado Party at the head of power.
With 95% of the votes counted, the pro-governmentist Santiago Peña defeated the Concertación, an alliance of 40 progressive parties headed by the liberal Efraín Alegre, with 27.5% with 43%. In Paraguay there is no second round and Peña will receive the baton of command on August 15 presidential.
Participation in this electoral day -in which deputies, governors and councilors are also elected- stands at 59.75
As soon as the polling stations closed, there was already a festive atmosphere at the headquarters of the Colorado Party in downtown Asunción. The first to arrive was former President Horacio Cartes (2013-2018), absent from the official campaign since the United States denounced him for money laundering and alleged links to terrorism.
The future president did not forget his political boss when he read the first triumphant speech. “I admire your qualified obstinacy, rescuing the Colorado Party from the plain, uniting the Colorado family and refounding the party at the service of the free man”, he told Cartes, and called the unit several times. The internal rival is the current president, Mario Abdo Benítez.
“Today we are not celebrating a personal triumph, but the victory of a people who chose the path of social peace”Pena added.
During his brief speech, Peña promised to banish the fatalism in which many Paraguayans are immersed and said that starting tomorrow he will begin to design the Paraguay that everyone wants.
Greetings from Alberto Fernández to Santiago Peña
For his part, the Argentine president, Alberto Fernández, has already contacted the recently elected president to congratulate him on the victory. Even, He has already invited him to visit Buenos Aires to talk.
«I affectionately greet all our brother people and I wish them a great future. Latin America must unite, integration is the way,” the Argentine head of state said on Twitter.
I spoke by phone with the president-elect @SantiPenapwhom I congratulated on his triumph in Paraguay.
I affectionately greet all our brother people and I wish them a great future. Latin America must unite, integration is the way. pic.twitter.com/4ULrDz4GjT
– Alberto Fernandez (@alferdez) April 30, 2023
A close contest between Peña and Alegre
Several surveys projected a disputed definition between the official SAntiago Peña, a 44-year-old economist who was director of the Central Bank and worked for the IMF, and the veteran leader of the opposition Efraín Alegre, 60 years old and who is trying for the third time to reach the presidential chair.
The difficult economic situation faced by many Paraguayans after the Covid-19 pandemic and the rise in prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as rampant corruption were the central themes of an apathetic and uneventful campaign.
The traditionally stable Paraguayan economy, which depends on exports of soybeans, beef and electricity, it grew just 0.2% last year and inflation was 8.1%.
Peña, whose party has ruled the country for the past seven decades with the exception of a brief period between 2008 and 2013, He promised “more money in the pockets” of Paraguayans by creating jobs and formalizing the economy.
Some analysts believe that he will replicate the policies of his mentor, former President Horacio Cartes, who it promoted public works with external debt and public-private alliances but paid less attention to social programs.
Alegre, who heads the center-left alliance Concertación Nacional, He proposed lowering electricity rates, fighting corruption and turning the country’s relations with Taiwan around in favor of China.
“We are going to defeat Pablo Escobar Gaviria from Paraguay and his Chili called Santiago Peña”, Alegre told television during his campaign closing on the outskirts of Asunción on Thursday, referring to one of the Colombian drug lord’s hitmen.
The Colorado Party arrives at the polls hit by internal conflicts and allegations of corruption by the US government against its leader Cartes. But its powerful electoral machine could be decisive in an even and close race.
“I want to be the symbol of party unity as of August 15 when I am sworn in as president”, Peña pointed out in his closing ceremony in Asunción.
Paraguay chooses: how the presidential election began
The day started with some minor incidents in a school in Asunción and of greater tension in the city of Sapucai, about 90 kilometers from the capital, due to discussions between party authorities about whether the ballot boxes, which are electoral machines, since they vote electronically, should be placed inside the classrooms or outside.
Television images showed scenes of boxing between pro-government and opposition militants that left at least one opposition prosecutor injured, while By order of the national electoral authorities, it was decided to leave the machines outside the classrooms, so that everyone could see the activity of the voter, without it being possible to know his decision.
The elections will be accompanied by a A day that is expected to be sunny and warm throughout the country, already with 22 degrees in Asunción shortly before the start of the election.
The 1,140 polling stations, which house 12,171 polling stations, will be open until 4:30 p.m. 4,782,940 voters are authorized to vote (there are 7.4 million inhabitants), although it is estimated that there would be up to 40 percent abstention, since, although voting is mandatory, the penalties for those who do not comply are non-existent.
Presidential elections in Paraguay: Chilavert is another of the candidates for the position of head of state
Former Paraguayan national team goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert was the candidate of the Youth Party. His running mate was Sofía Scheid, who joined the nomination for the position of Vice President of the Paraguayan Nation.
Among his main proposals, the idol of Vélez spoke of the fThe strengthening of education, the defense of equal rights, well-being and security for all, economic and labor development, and the expansion of infrastructure development.
Despite his popularity in the football field, his application has not had much impact. there was even an attempt by Patricia Bullrich to seduce the idol of the “fortin” to be the candidate for mayor of La Matanza, within the Together for Change (JxC) coalition.
Presidential elections in Paraguay: all the candidates
Santiago Peña (president) and Pedro Alliana (vice president) – Colorado Party
Efraín Alegre (president) and Sole Núñez (vice president) – National Agreement for a New Paraguay
Jorge Humberto Gomez Otaño (president) and Noelia Nunez (vice-president) – UNACE Party
Euclides Acevedo (president) and Jorge Querey (vice president) – Political Movement of the New Republic
Juan Felix Romero Lovera (president) and Catalina Ramírez Alvarenga (vice president) – Humanist and Solidarity Movement
Luis Talavera Alegre (president) and Celso Álvarez Amarilla (vice president) – National Party UNÁMONOS
José Luis Felix Chilavert González (president) and Sofía Clara Scheid Vázquez (vice president) – Fuerza Joven Youth Party
Ócar Cañete (president) and Luis Wilfrido Arce (vice-president) – Green Party of Paraguay PVP
Prudencio Burgos (president) and Leona Guarani (vice president) – National People’s Party 30A
Alfredo Machuca (president) and Justina Noguera (vice president) – Independent Patriotic Citizen Coordination Movement
Rosa Bogarín (president) and Herminio Lesme (vice-president) – Democratic Socialist Party Heirs
Aurelio Martinez Cabral (president) and David Sanchez (vice president) – Join Paraguay
Payo Cubas (president) and Stilber Valdés (vice president) – National Crusade Party
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