Paraguay holds this Sunday the closest elections in recent years

On Sunday, April 30, Paraguay will hold the closest elections in the country in recent years, with the candidate of the ruling Colorado Party, Santiago Peña, and the opposition Efraín Alegre as favorites.

More than 4.78 million Paraguayans are called to the polls to elect, in a single round, their new president and vice-president, 45 senators and 30 alternates, 80 deputies and an equal number of alternates and 17 governors, as well as 257 regular and 257 alternate members of the country’s departmental boards for the next five years.

In addition, for the first time, the elections will have electronic voting.

Polls indicate a very close contest between Peña and Alegre. Although far from victory, the extreme right-wing candidate Payo Cubas is in third place.

Peña was Minister of Finance during Horacio Cartes’ term in office (2013-2018). His main rival, Alegre, president of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), is a representative of the National Concertation, which groups most of the opposition forces in Paraguay.

Alegre is running for the third time as a presidential candidate after being defeated in 2013 and 2018.

Reportedly, Paraguay’s next president will face several economic and social challenges, such as tax evasion, labor informality, the harsh impact of drought, and poverty, affecting peasants and indigenous people.

Also, for the first time, Paraguayans living abroad will be allowed to vote, with almost 22,000 Paraguayans residing in Argentina, the United States, and Spain voting.

The polling stations will remain open for nine hours, from 07:00 local time (11:00 GMT) until 16:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Sunday.

The presidential election winner, who will replace Mario Abdo Benítez, is expected to be known a few hours later.