In Paraguay there has not been the turn to the left predicted by many polls: with the victory of Santiago Pena in the presidential elections, the Colorado party, which has been in power in the country for decades, confirms the hegemony of the conservatives, also winning the majority in the Senate and at least 14 of the 17 local governors renewed in the polls. The clear defeat of Concertacion Nacional, a heterogeneous coalition of progressive political forces, which had Efrain Alegre as candidate.
According to data from the Higher Court of Electoral Justice, Pena obtained 42.93% of the votes, while Alegre received 27.52%. In third place was the independent and ‘anti-system’ candidate Paraguayo Cubas, who garnered 22.73% of the vote. The electoral battle was played out entirely on the country’s difficult economic situation and widespread corruption. The fiscal deficit rose to 3% of GDP last year, average annual growth over the past four years fell to 0.7% and extreme poverty increased. Factors on which Alegre, a 60-year-old former senator and veteran of the Paraguayan political scene, relied, but he failed to gain a hold on the majority of the electorate. The voters chose ‘the safe used, the Colorado party (so known to all even if the name formally is the National Republican Alliance), which has governed Paraguay uninterruptedly since the end of the military dictatorship in 1989, and which put the economist Santiago Pena, 44 years old. A candidate who has been able to instill confidence in the economic recovery. In his first declaration as winner, with the ballot not yet concluded but with an advantage no longer recoverable from the other aspiring presidents, Pena made an optimistic appeal to all work together to restart the country.
“I call for unity and consensus to fulfill our destiny of collective well-being and prosperity without exclusions,” Pena said speaking to a crowd of his supporters in the capital Asuncion. “The time has come-he added-to set aside our differences and prioritize the common causes that unite us as a nation.” The newly elected head of state received, via Twitter and even before the announcement of the results, the compliments of the outgoing party mate, Mario abdo Benitez: “Best wishes to the Paraguayan people for their participation in this electoral day and to the president elected Santiago Pena”, wrote Benitez on Twitter, who ensured an “orderly and transparent” transition.