On April 30, about 4 million Paraguayans will go to the polls from 07:00 to 17:00 to elect the country’s president and vice president for the 2023-2028 term.
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Voting intention polls showed that President Mario Abdo-Benitez (Colorado Party) and former Senator Efrain Alegre (National Concertation Party) are the candidates who are likely to obtain the highest number of votes.
Abdo-Benitez, a son of a former secretary of dictator Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989), has promised to defend the family's traditional values and increase the security forces’ budget and equipment.
Meanwhile, left-wing politician Alegre pledged to fight corruption, improve access to health and education services, and establish a universal basic income. He also proposed to legalize abortion and same-sex marriage.
The remaining candidates for president are Miguel Carrizosa (Beloved Homeland Party), Leo Rubin (Guasu Front), Eduardo Nakayama (Authentic Radical Liberal Party), Juan Bautista Ybañez (National Encounter Party), and Lino Oviedo (National Union of Ethical Citizens Party). None of them, however, are likely to obtain over 10 percent of the ballots.
In the April 30 elections, Paraguayans will also choose 45 senators, 80 Lower House members, 17 governors, and 18 representatives to the Mercosur Parliament. The current electoral law only allows a single electoral round.
The new authorities will face multiple challenges as Paraguay currently has an inequality index of 0.47 and a poverty rate of 23.5 percent, one of the highest in the region.