The Future Of Paraguay

Paraguay is the only South American country that has never had sea and one of the most unequal socially. For decades the power was in the hands of a very similar elite with the official party and the stroessnerismo, and the economy has been dominated by the smuggling and arable crops (such as soy). The new Government does not seek a radical alteration of the old order but a reset. After an initial wave of support to the new President will be inevitable clashes between a rural and popular base that has expectations in a redistribution of wealth and land reform and a sector linked to previous administrations or the liberal party that only wants to modernize the Paraguayan system. All this in the midst of a Government that does not hold the control of the armed forces nor is homogeneous nor has a majority Congressman. Paraguay passes today for Mexico what lived in 2000 fell when a party that was more than six decades in power. These two countries elect their Chairmen in a single turn with what Fernando Lugo, who took 40% of the votes, is it becomes the first not colorado representative of his country since 1948. In Mexico had a monopoly of power a party that came from a left-wing revolution (PRI), while in Paraguay this held it the force that imposed the longest South American conservative dictatorship (los colorados of Stroessner).

Both the PRI and los colorados before falling were gradually shifting toward the Center; But while the first was deposed from the right dropped the second by the left. Lugo, however, not a revolutionary, but a former pacifist Bishop who wants to get along with the US and with their environment. His coalition is very heterogeneous as it includes from Marxists to Christian Democrats and centroderechistas. One of its components is the revolutionary turnout that claims the military socialist revolution of February 1936 that deposed to the domain of a third of a century of Liberals, and also this last party who holds the Vice-Presidency and who is part of the liberal international. Lugo would like to offer a stability as has the Lula or the Chilean Concertacion (whose vast Alliance as he is inspired), although it is possible that, due to the crisis in his country, large internal disparities and social pressure by major changes, Paraguay will end up being a new Bolivia polarized between very antagonistic forces.