Back from the Chaco

Lots has happened here in Paraguay since we last blogged!

• Lugo (backed by the Authentic Radical Liberal Party) won the presidential election!
• Katherine’s parents visited us for a week.
• We traveled 5hrs to visit a Mennonite colony in the Chaco.
• Weylin got busted for not having any license or registration on his moto!

Lugo won by about 10% (he also won in our site poll!) and luckily there was no rioting or civil disruption as had been anticipated by some. It seems that Paraguay has lived under dictators and now a seemingly eternally dominant Colorado party for so long that they couldn’t imagine that power structure being changed without some sort of struggle or resistance. But, the people have spoken and a new party will soon be in power. The official hand-over is August 15th. The country seems largely to be holding it’s breath waiting to see what will happen- no one is sure, but most are hopeful. One related thing we’ve seen is happening in Luque. The municipal government is paving one of the main roads in town. A local told us that they’re going to be spending a lot of municipal money now because previously they would put that government money in the bank and embezzle the interest. Now they have to spend it up before August so that no one sees just what they’ve been stealing from the people. At least that’s what we’ve been told…

Receiving our first visitors was great! We so enjoyed being able to share our home and our experience here with some family. For Katherine and myself it was also wonderful to spend a week with people from our native culture- what a difference that makes. Ofelia also loved the attention and grandparent time! We spent a few days getting a thorough tour of a Mennonite colony, Menno, (info here, and here) in the Paraguayan Chaco. What a great and infinitely interesting experience that was! We had a great tour guide and learned a ton about this remote pocket of agrarian industrialization; a grand social experiment continuing to play out in the remote lands of a remote country.

Well, enough chit-chat, how about some pics…

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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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