Dictatorship, Transition and Democracy in araguay (1954-2019)

Abstract

Over the course of the twentieth century, the Paraguayan state had mainly been controlled by its two traditional parties: the Colorado party, as the National Republican Association (ANR) is popularly known, and the Liberal party, currently known as the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA). Despite the two-party system, the nature of its political regimes has varied greatly.This article covers Paraguayan history between 1954 and the present day. During the first eight years of this period, 1940-1948, Paraguay was ruled by dictator Higinio Morínigo; and from 1948 until 2008, the Colorado party ran the government, a period that included the Stroessner dictatorship. In 2013 and 2018, this party won the elections again. In other words, in over seventy years, the only Paraguayan president who was not a member of the ANR ruled for just a single term, from 2008 and 2012.This chapter analyzes the dictatorship, transition, and finally, democracy, addressing a number of features that contribute to an understanding of the socio-political and economic processes in Paraguay during those years. The first section reviews the years of the Stroessner regime (1954 to 1989), studying domestic variables, the general's leadership, and the particular features dictatorship acquired in Paraguay. It also analyzes international trends during those years, including the role of the United States in the context of the Cold War and the National Security Doctrine. The period that began in February 1989 with the defeat of the dictator is the subject of the second section, which traces the sinuous path towards democracy. Key historical moments will be a focus in this section, like the triumph of Fernando Lugo in the 2008 presidential elections that ended more than six decades of rule by the Colorado Party; his impeachment, which brought into question the stability of Paraguayan democracy in 2012; and the amendment crisis in 2017, a sociopolitical process that ended with mass protests and demonstrators setting fire to the Senate building.