The National Republican Association – Colorado Party (
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
: ''Asociación Nacional Republicana – Partido Colorado'', ANR-PC) is a
right-wing political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...
in
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
, founded on 11 September 1887, by
Bernardino Caballero
Juan Bernardino Caballero de Añasco y Melgarejo (20 May 1839, Ybycuí, Paraguay – 26 February 1912, Asunción) was a Paraguayan War veteran, the President of Paraguay from 1880 until 1886 and founder of the Colorado Party. He was the lea ...
. The party was defeated in
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
after 61 years in power, but the party regained the presidency in the
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
election. With almost 2 million members, it is the largest political party in the country.
History
1887–1989
It initially ruled the country from 1887 until 1904. In 1946, it rejoined the government, together with the
Febreristas, during
Higinio Moríñigo Higinio is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
*Higinio Anglés (1888–1969), Spanish musicologist
*Higinio Cazón (1866–1914), musician and Songwriter
*Higinio Marín Escavy (born 1993), Spanish footballer
*Higinio García Fern� ...
's rule as
President of Paraguay
The president of Paraguay ( es, Presidente del Paraguay), officially known as the President of the Republic of Paraguay ( es, Presidente de la República del Paraguay), is according to the Constitution of Paraguay the head of the executive bran ...
.
From 1947 until 1962, the Colorado Party ruled
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
as a
one-party state
A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system, or single-party system is a type of sovereign state in which only one political party has the right to form the government, usually based on the existing constitution. All other parties ...
; all other political parties were illegal. In 1962, all national parties were nominally legalized; the Communist Party being deemed "international" remained illegal and its adherents repressed by the Paraguayan state. During the rule of
Alfredo Stroessner
Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda (; 3 November 1912 – 16 August 2006) was a Paraguayan army officer and politician who served as President of Paraguay from 15 August 1954 to 3 February 1989.
Stroessner led a coup d'état on 4 May 1954 with t ...
all members of the armed forces and government employees were required to be members of the Colorado Party. In 1987, there was a rift in the party between a hardliner faction supportive of
Stroessner and a traditionalist faction. This rift was primarily over the issue of Stroessner's succession and was a large contributor to the
1989 coup d'état led by General
Andrés Rodríguez Andrés Rodríguez may refer to:
* Andrés Rodríguez (politician) (1923–1997), president of Paraguay
* Andrés Rodríguez (basketball) (born 1981), basketball player from Puerto Rico
*Andres Rodriguez (show jumper)
Andres Rodríguez (11 May ...
, himself a traditionalist.
In practice, however, Paraguay remained a one-party military dictatorship until Stroessner's overthrow in 1989. It served as one of the "twin pillars" of Stroessner's 35-year rule, one of the
longest in history by a non-royal leader.
Since 1989
In 2002, the
National Union of Ethical Citizens
The National Union of Ethical Citizens ( es, Unión Nacional de Ciudadanos Éticos, UNACE) is a right-wing populist political party in Paraguay.
History
The party was established in 2002, although its predecessor, the ''Unión Nacional de Color ...
split from the party.
At the
legislative
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...
elections
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative ...
of 27 April 2003, the party won 35.3% of the popular vote (37 out of 80 seats) in the
Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay
The Chamber of Deputies ''(Cámara de Diputados)'' is the lower house of Paraguay's bicameral legislature, the National Congress. It is made up of 80 members, elected for a five-year term by proportional representation. The other chamber of the Na ...
and 32.9% (16 out of 45 seats) in the Senate. Its candidate at the presidential elections on the same day,
Nicanor Duarte
Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos (born 11 October 1956) is a Paraguayan politician who served as President of Paraguay from 2003 to 2008. In 2013, President Horacio Cartes appointed Duarte as Ambassador to Argentina, a diplomatic posting he held fro ...
, won 37.1% of the popular vote and was elected
President of Paraguay
The president of Paraguay ( es, Presidente del Paraguay), officially known as the President of the Republic of Paraguay ( es, Presidente de la República del Paraguay), is according to the Constitution of Paraguay the head of the executive bran ...
.
Originally, the Colorado Party was
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, representing those opposed to the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
.
On 20 April 2008, for the first time in 61 years, the Colorado Party lost the presidential elections to an opposition candidate from the
center-left
Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The ce ...
,
Fernando Lugo
Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez (; born 30 May 1951) is a Paraguayan politician and laicized Catholic bishop who was President of Paraguay from 2008 to 2012. Previously he was a Roman Catholic priest and bishop, serving as Bishop of the Diocese ...
, a
Roman Catholic bishop
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of holy orders and is responsible for teaching doctrine, governing Catholics in his jurisdiction, sanctifying the world and representing the Ch ...
, a first on both accounts (free election of an opposition candidate and of a bishop to the office of president in Paraguay). The Colorado Party was represented in these elections by
Blanca Ovelar
Blanca Margarita Ovelar de Duarte (born September 2, 1957) is a Paraguayan politician and former Minister of Education. She was the Colorado Party's nominee for president in the April 2008 presidential election, in which she was defeated.
Ovel ...
, the first woman to run for the presidency. Fernando Lugo, who had renounced the cloth before the elections so that he could become eligible under Paraguayan law, was formally released from his vows by the Vatican before his installation as president on 15 August 2008.
According to Antonio Soljancic, a social scientist at the Autonomous University of
Asunción
Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay.
The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay o ...
, "in order to get a job, you had to show you were a party member. The problem Paraguay has is that, although Stroessner disappeared from the political map, he left a legacy that no one has tried to bury".
Electoral history
Presidential elections
Note: From 1947 until 1962, the Colorado Party was the
sole legal party. Free and fair elections did not take place until 1993.
Vice presidential election
Chamber of Deputies elections
Note: From 1947 until 1962, the Colorado Party was the sole legal party. Free and fair elections did not take place until 1993.
Senate elections
Note: free and fair elections did not take place until 1993.
References
External links
ANR – Partido Colorado
{{Authority control
1887 establishments in Paraguay
Conservative parties in South America
International Democrat Union member parties
Paraguayan nationalism
National conservative parties
Neoliberal parties
Parties of one-party systems
Political history of Paraguay
Political parties established in 1887
Political parties in Paraguay
Anti-communist parties