Paraguayan Congress has opened with majority of the ruling party waiting for President-elect Santiago Peña

The new Paraguayan Congress, installed for the 2023-2028 term, has a significant majority from the ruling conservative Colorado Party.

It is now awaiting the inauguration of President-elect Santiago Peña, who will have ample political support within the Legislative Power to govern for the next five years, with opposition presence providing a minority counterbalance.

Peña will assume office on August 15, succeeding Mario Abdo Benítez, both members of the Colorado Party or ANR (National Republican Association), despite their internal differences.

The Chamber of Deputies, following the general elections in April and comprises 48 representatives from the Colorado Party.

There are 22 from the Partido Liberal Radical Auténtico (PLRA) and 4 from the Partido Cruzada Nacional (PCN) – led by the detained former presidential candidate Paraguayo Cubas – and two representatives from Encuentro Nacional and Movimiento Yo Creo.

One deputy each was elected from the Partido Patria Querida (PPQ) and the party País Solidario.

Among the 80 deputies elected, 22 were reelected for the new term, while 58 are newcomers to Congress.

In the Upper House, the ruling party also holds a favorable majority.

The ANR obtained 23 seats, five more than in the previous legislative period, providing sufficient strength to approve or reject projects and even sanction or dismiss parliamentarians.

The remaining seats in the Senate are distributed among the Alianza Senadores por la Patria (12 representatives), the Partido Cruzada Nacional (5 representatives), the Alianza Encuentro Nacional (2 representatives), and the Frente Guasu alliance (1 representative).

This article was drafted with automated assistance and reviewed before publication. How we use AI · Report an error