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ASUNCIÓA broad-based opposition coalition in Paraguay is seeking to unseat South America’s longest-governing party Sunday in elections focused on corruption, the economy, health care and even ties with Taiwan.
The Colorado Party has governed Paraguay almost uninterrupted since 1947 and the landlocked nation has been practically immune to the political change and social movements that have swept the region.
All this could change with Sunday’s vote, which is focused on Santiago Peña of the Colorado Party and Efraín Alegre, the candidate of the Pact for a New Paraguay coalition who is also head of the Liberal party, the second-largest political force in Congress.
Paraguay doesn’t have a runoff, so whoever of the 13 candidates receives the most votes will be the next president. Voters are also casting ballots for Congress members.
Analysts expect a tight contest, with the opposition fueled by anger over high levels of corruption and the deficiencies in the health and education systems that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
