Other Candidates

The election is fast approaching so here’s the rest of the info. First: A correction from my last post– I was incorrect in stating that there are “three candidates” running in the Paraguayan presidential race, there are actually a total of 7, but only the top 3 are considered to have enough supporters to be serious contenders. (You can find the full list here)

The other 2 main candidates are Lino Oviedo, and Fernando Lugo. Both have interesting stories.

Lino is a former military general: “When President Juan Carlos Wasmosy asked him to step down from that position in April 1996, he allegedly refused and threatened a coup d’etat. After days of tension, Wasmosy offered him the Defence Ministry instead, but when Oviedo went to the presidential palace to take the oath, dressed in civilian clothes, the President, backed by popular demonstrations, withdrew the offer. Ousted from the military, he concentrated in winning the ruling Colorado Party’s candidacy for the 1998 presidential elections, and succeeded by presenting a populist platform through his great rhetorical skills. A month before the national elections, and while leading the polls, he was finally condemned to a ten-year prison term for his 1996’s military mutiny.”

Lino’s web site (viewable in English) spends a lot of bandwidth attempting to debunk the “myths” about his supposed crimes. Paraguayans seem to enjoy a good myth and stories of corruption and intrigue so this is hard to put to rest, supporters indicate corruption and double crossing led to his improper imprisonment, while detractors point to his long-standing Colorado ties helping him get out of paying for his crimes. Truth in these types of matters is extremely elusive here. We never get a straight answer about this guy.

Lugo has no less an interesting story. He is a former clergy, a bishop, who was forced to resign when he

decided to follow his political aspirations. He is a Blue party candidate and has made some statements aligning himself with Hugo Chaves. He champions himself a candidate for social equality. He is seen as a serious threat to the 60+ year rule of the Colorado party.

One great concern of this election is that whoever gets elected gets the spoils of filing government appointed positions. These are very many and they are positions of power and influence. One concern I’ve heard about Lugo is that if the Blue party wins they may seek revenge upon the Colorados. This is a great unknown, Paraguay has no idea what rule under the Blue party would be like, but they do know what it is like under the Colorados– is may not be good, but at least they know what it is.

Lino offers a different appeal. His pamphlet states that he did a lot of thinking while in prison (a pre- or post-office holding appointment fitting for many US politicians!). He claims to have a different, more populous oriented approach. What is comforting about his candidacy is that he is a former Colorado, though not running with that party. So, it is thought that while his presidency might be positively different than past presidents, it would not be a complete overturning of power in the country.

I have found it interesting that many Paraguayans seem to know so little about an election that they all say is so important. The information, at least some, appears to be available and accessible, but there seems to be a lack of engagement with that info. As an outsider looking in, I believe that we are witnessing what is in part an effect of a very long history of dictatorships. There has been an inevitable impact on the national character and way of thinking and doing- one that continues to influence things such as presidential election voting– even on individuals who have very little time under dictatorship. Such is the power of a nation’s history in shaping the perceptions and actions at the individual level. It is at times bizarre to witness.

So what about the U.S. presidential elections? What connections do they have to the election process here in Paraguay? What things are we doing and thinking that are more a function of our national history and personality than of our individual thinking and expression. It is naive to believe that history doesn’t impact us- that’s how quagmires get repeated! I believe there is much that we either take for granted w/o investigating, or gloss over w/o questioning– things that if critically examined with an awareness of our national personality, would lead to very different (and better informed) decision making at crucial moments like presidential elections. So who do I support? I’m not telling! That’s my U.S. notion that voting is a private matter!

I’ll take a break from political talk and we’ll be posting some pics and fun stuff in the near future. Here’s a view of some political advertisements around Luque. And some shots of a Lino parade we inadvertently drove into!

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Presidential Elections

There’s going to be a presidential election here in Paraguay at the end of this month (April 20th). We’ve been hearing a lot about the candidates and about Paraguayan history over these last couple of months. Three candidates from three parties are competing in this final presidential election:

Blanca Ovelar- Colorado Party,

The standing president, Nicanor Duarte Frutos, is at his term limit (one term of 5 years- though he did try to pass legislation allowing him to have another term!) and is now running for a senate position (some have indicated this is part of his plan to remain in power). His choosen colorado party successor is Blanca Ovelar (again, some say she was picked as a person loyal to Nicanor, and who will help him stay in power). The colorado party dates back to the late 1940’s when Stroessner came to power here in Paraguay, and having ruled Paraguay for over 61 years it is the longest ruling party in the world! Stroessner used the colorado party to legitimise his dictatorship and to maintain his power. He also used it effectively to supress other groups. Since his rise to power, up though today, the colorado political party has maintained a majority control over the “political” process in Paraguay, even after Stroessner was overthrown in a coup in 1989, February 2-3. Needless to say, there is great historical inertia for another Colrado to take the reins. Adding to this is the fact that Presidents, and ruling parties have the power to appoint in many many governmental positions- so a change in ruling party would lead to a potential in power and influence throughout the country, especially since things get done largely by who you know- more inertia and resistance to change.

This has turned into a lengthier post than I planned, so I will post about the other 2 candidates in upcoming days. For anyone interested in more detailed information about Paraguay, it’s people, culture and history, the Library of Congress has some very comprehensive information.

As we watch the elections process here in Paraguay, I keep wondering what this process has to teach us about the U.S. presidential elections process. These two cultures that are seemingly worlds apart, I believe, actually have a great deal in common if their power structures are looked at from a macro perspective– multiple levels of abstraction away from the details differentiating our peoples.

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