Voters in Paraguay are preparing to head to the polls today, Sunday, in what could represent the biggest electoral challenge for the ruling Colorado Party in over a decade, amid looming risks to the nearly 70-year relationship with Taiwan. Voting will begin at 7 AM local time (11:00 AM GMT) in the landlocked South American nation, which has a population of less than seven million.
The frontrunners are the ruling party's candidate, esteemed economist Santiago Peña, and veteran opposition lawyer Efraín Alegre. This election represents the strongest challenge in ten years to the Colorado Party, which has dominated politics in Paraguay since the 1950s, governing for 75 of the past 80 years, except for five years. However, its popularity has been affected by a sluggish economy and corruption allegations.
Economic issues, corruption allegations, and the candidates' views on Taiwan are at the forefront of political discussions. Paraguay is one of only 13 countries with official diplomatic relations with the democratically governed island, which China claims as its own. Alegre criticizes the diplomatic ties between Paraguay and Taiwan, arguing they "undermine soy and meat exports to China," and believes that an economy heavily reliant on agriculture "doesn't gain enough in return from Taipei." His opponent, Peña, asserts that he "will maintain relations with Taiwan."
Nearly five million voters are registered to participate in the presidential race, which will be decided in a single round today. Voters will also choose members of Congress and governors. The first indicators of the results are expected around 7 PM.
