Global Courant 2023-05-01 05:52:50
Pena’s conservative Colorado Party faced a severe challenge from residual corruption and poverty.
Santiago Pena has won Paraguay’s election and returned the conservative Colorado Party to government after a hard-fought campaign that threatened to end its seven-decade hold on power.
The 44-year-old economist and former finance minister had 42.7 percent of the vote with more than 99 percent of the vote counted, ahead of more than 15 points over centre-left rival Efrain Alegrem, a 60-year-old lawyer from the Concertacion coalition, the electoral body said.
About 4.8 million of the South American country’s 7.5 million residents were eligible to vote in presidential and legislative elections.
“Thank you for this victory in Colorado, thank you for this victory in Paraguay,” said Pena.
Today we do not celebrate a personal triumph, but celebrate the victory of a people who, with their voice, chose the path of social peace, dialogue, brotherhood and national reconciliation.
Alegre conceded defeat, saying simply: “The effort was not enough”.
Alegre, a lawyer, had a slight lead in polls heading into the vote, raising the prospect of defeating the Colorado Party, which has ruled almost continuously since 1947 — through a dictatorship and since the return of democracy in 1989.
“We have a lot to do, after the last years of economic stagnation, of budget deficits, the task ahead is not for a single person or for a party,” Pena said in his victory speech, calling for “unity and consensual”. ”.
While differing in economic and international policies, the two frontrunners were both socially conservative and championed strong anti-abortion rights and anti-gay marriages in a predominantly Catholic nation.
Pena’s supporters took to the streets to celebrate (Cesar Olmedo/Reuters)
Paraguay is one of only 13 countries to recognize Taipei over Beijing, and Alegre had promised to reconsider the relationship if he won, while Pena said he would maintain ties.
China views self-governed, democratic Taiwan as part of its territory, has not ruled out the use of force to take control of the island, and has sought to isolate Taiwan on the international scene.
Honduras switched to Beijing in March, following Nicaragua in 2021, El Salvador in 2018, Panama in 2017 and Costa Rica in 2007.
The Taiwan Embassy in Paraguay congratulated Pena on his win and said Taipei would continue to work with Paraguay on their “fruitful” relationship.
Alegre had also campaigned against corruption in the Colorado Party, where two of its top members have recently been hit by United States sanctions for alleged corruption.
They include Pena’s political mentor and Colorado Party chairman, former President Horacio Cartes.
Paraguay ranks 137th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
Other election issues included poverty, social inequality and escalating crime.
