Political tensions in Paraguay linger ahead of next year’s elections

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By CGTN’s Paulo Cabral

Paraguay is set to elect a new president next year, but the transfer of power may not go so smoothly.

Current president Horacio Cartes ignited a constitutional crisis in March, when he tried to get parliamentary approval to run for re-election.

While that issue has closed, the tension has yet to ease.

In late March, protesters attacked Parliament, breaking windows, ransacking offices and setting fires.

Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes speaks to the media after his arrival at Mariscal Sucre Airport in Quito, Ecuador May 23, 2017 ahead of Ecuadorean president inauguration. /VCG Photo

The violence was sparked by President Cartes’ move to lift term limits and run for re-election next year.

Just days later, Cartes announced he would abandon his re-election ambitions, and the parliamentary measure on term limits was voted down.

Tensions eased afterwards, and political parties have already started to prepare for the presidential election set for next April.

But politicians said much remains simmering under the surface.

One senator from the opposition Authentic Radical Liberal Party blames Carte’s government for the tension.

“I think there is tension because President Horacio Cartes has practice of favoring confrontation rather than dialogue," said Senator Carlos Amarilla."He doesn’t try to seek collaboration and understand but to push his own rules, as he tried to do recently with the reelection amendment.”

CGTN Photo

Another member from the governing Colorado Party and close ally of President Cartes said the responsibility is with the opposition.

“The violent ones are the minority groups," said Senator Juan Monges. "You can see here in the Senate how they obstruct everything, trying to impose the will of the minority. This is not democratic."

Former leftist president and now senator Fernando Lugo was ousted in a much questioned impeachment process in 2012.

Lugo said opposition forces may be able to take back the country’s seat of power, if they can reach consensus among themselves.

“I am a man of hope. I trust progressive forces will return to power in Paraguay," said Lugo. "Because these forces have lost the power on one hand but not on the other. We may not have the administration of the State, but left-wing social and activist groups like students, peasants and trade unions are out there fighting for what they believe.”

Marcos Caceres, a political correspondent for ABC Color Newspaper, agreed with the near-unanimous view of analysts that the governing Colorado Party is most likely to win next year’s elections.

“Right now the political environment seems very favorable for the governing Colorado Party because if the opposition is not united it’s very unlikely they will have any success," said Caceres. "And right now the opposition is extremely divided and seem unable able to agree on a viable candidate.”

Paraguayan political parties are now preparing for the 2018 elections by negotiating, building alliances and choosing their candidates.

Even so, the damage inflicted to the Senate building remains as a reminder that the risk of a return to political violence cannot be totally ruled out.

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