Carlos Alberto Filizzola Pallarés (born 24 July 1959) is a Paraguayan physician, labor unionist and politician who served as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Asunción Asunción (, ) 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 of Asunción in the north ...

from 1991 to 1996, being the first one to be democratically elected. He later served four terms as

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

, from 2003 to 2011 and again from 2012 to 2023, having been appointed Minister of the Interior in the meantime, under the presidency of

Fernando Lugo Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez (; born 30 May 1951) is a Paraguayan politician and Loss of clerical state, laicized Bishops in the Catholic Church, Catholic bishop who was President of Paraguay from 2008 to 2012. Previously, he was a Roman Cath ...

Senate of Paraguay The Chamber of Senators of Paraguay (''Cámara de Senadores''), the upper house of the National Congress, has 45 members, elected for a five-year term by proportional representation. The Paraguayan bicameral legislature, which included the Sena ...

Senador Carlos Alberto Filizzola Pallarés
/ref> '' Última Hora'', 15 June 2012
Lugo destituye al ministro Carlos Filizzola y al comandante Paulino Rojas
/ref> He was also the

President of the Senate President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the Speaker (politics), speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's Order of succession, succes ...

from 2005 to 2006 and the

running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a pre ...

of Domingo Laíno in the 1998 presidential election. Born into a wealthy family with links to

Alfredo Stroessner Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda (; 3 November 1912 – 16 August 2006) was a Paraguayan politician, army general and Military dictatorship, military dictator who ruled as the 42nd president of Paraguay from 15 August 1954 until his overthrow in 19 ...

, Filizzola came to oppose the dictatorship, first as a student leader and later through unions, organizing protests such as the ''Clinicazo'' of 1986. A self-described

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

, Filizzola was one of the main faces of the Paraguayan left during his political career. He was president of the National Encounter Party from 1996 to 1999, a

big tent A big tent party, or catch-all party, is a political party having members covering a broad spectrum of beliefs. This is in contrast to other kinds of parties, which defend a determined ideology, seek voters who adhere to that ideology, and att ...

party where he had his own leftist faction. In 2000 that faction broke off, founding Filizzola's very own Party for a Country of Solidarity.

Early life

Family

Carlos Alberto FIlizzola Pallarés was born in

, on 24 July 1959, to Francisco Filizzola and Alba Pallarés. From his father's side he is of Italian ancestry. His cousin, Rafael Filizzola, is also a politician. '' Última Hora'', 26 August 2011
Rafael Filizzola dice que su primo conspiró para su caída
/ref> In 1980, Francisco Filizzola received around ten thousand acres of public land from

. Carlos, who opposed the dictatorship, opted to give back the lands after inheriting them. Filizzola had two sons with his first wife and later a daughter with his

domestic partner A domestic partnership is an intimate relationship between people, usually couples, who cohabitation, live together and share a common domestic life but who are not marriage, married (to each other or to anyone else). People in domestic partner ...

, the

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person, or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin , . Models can be divided in ...

Paola Colmán.

Education

He attended the

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Ghoette School, where he was elected president of the

student council A student council (also known as a student union, associated student body or student parliament) is an administrative organization of students in different educational institutes ranging from elementary schools to universities and research or ...

in 1977. He is a

medical doctor A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis ...

, having graduated from the ''

Universidad Nacional de Asunción The Universidad Nacional de Asunción or Mbo'ehaovusu Tetãgua Paraguaygua, abbreviated UNA, anglicized as, The National University of Asuncion, is a public university founded in San Lorenzo, Paraguay. Founded in 1889, it is the oldest and most ...

'' in 1985. There he also served as president of the student council, from 1984 to 1985, as well as president of the

medical students A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

union, from 1982 to 1984. From these positions he actively opposed the dictatorship, that had by then entered a phase of steep decline.

Union career

In the late 1980s Filizzola opposed the dictatorship of

as a union leader. He served as president of the Medics Association of the ''Hospital de Clínicas'' from 1986 to 1988. From this position he led the ''Clinicazo'', a large protest against the increasingly weak regime. After the fall of Stroessner, Filizzola served as Assistant Secretary General of the ''Central Unitaria de Trabajadores'' from its creation in 1989 until his election as mayor in 1991.

Political career

Mayor of Asunción (1991-1996)

1991 mayoral election

Up until 1990, all mayors of all cities in Paraguay were appointed by the president. The first municipal elections in Paraguayan history were held on 26 May 1991, resulting in the election of Carlos FIlizzola, of the Asunción for Everyone Movement, elected mayor of Asunción, the nation's capital. He won 34% of the vote, beating the ''

colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

'' Juan Manuel Morales (27%), the liberal Félix "Pon" Bogado Gondra (20%) and the '' febrerista'' Euclides Acevedo (10%). Filizzola became the first democratically elected mayor of Asunción, as well as the first leftist one.

Removal of the monument to Alfredo Stroessner

One of Filizzola's first deeds as mayor was to order the removal of the statue of

situated in the monument atop Lambaré Hill. Filizzola argued that the statue was illegal, since according to Law 2719/90 the Government could not erect monuments of living people (at the time Stroessner was alive, exiled in Brasilia). The toppling was difficult, since the statue was large and heavy. This eventually attracted a lot of news reporters and onlookers, which then attracted Stroessner supporters, opposed to the toppling. Eventually the commotion led to President Andrés Rodríguez, who couped Stroessner, calling Filizzola to pause the removal and discuss the matter with him. In the morning of 8 October, Filizzola gave a

press conference A press conference, also called news conference or press briefing, is a media event in which notable individuals or organizations invite journalism, journalists to hear them speak and ask questions. Press conferences are often held by politicia ...

outside the '' Palacio de López'', communicating that the president approved of the removal, and that he apologized for interrupting it. Later that day the statue was cut off at foot level, tied by the neck and brought down with a crane. Several people climbed on top of the statue, which was lying on the floor, to dance and celebrate. The statue was given to artist Carlos Colombino, who used it to make a sculpture in honor of the victims of the dictatorship, which was inaugurated in 1995 and is currently in the Park of the Disappeared.

Infrastructure works

Cultural centers were inaugurated, such as the '' Manzana de la Rivera'' and the Paraguayan-Japanese Cultural Center. He implemented the use of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

for road paving, seeking to improve the quality and durability of the streets. Among his works are also the ''Franja Costera'' for the zones of Asunción prone to

flooding A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant concern in agriculture, civi ...

and the Environmental Development Plan of Asunción. His most controversial work, which is remembered to this day, was the renovation of Democracy Square, a large public space located in

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

Asunción, built in the 1960s. The renovation saw the removal of most of its vegetation and the large

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" ( genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were o ...

that sat in the middle. This was made in order to build a

parking lot A parking lot or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface. In most jurisdi ...

, which was meant to solve the city's problems related to parking, it didn't. The renovation was unveiled on 21 April 1995 in a ceremony led by Filizzola and President Juan Carlos Wasmosy, who praised it. Public opinion turned sharply against Filizzola's renovation, which remains controversial.

Other works

He supported cultural demonstrations and the creation of '' comisiones vecinales''. Furthermore, during his administration the number of public officials doubled, from 2,200 to 4,400, which led Filizzola being accused of filling the municipality with members of Asunción for Everyone. The increase in bureaucrats can also be due to the creation of more municipal departments, such as the Environmental Department. During his mayoralty, Filizzola was elected a member of the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...

, advisory member of the board of directors of the Ibero-American Organization of Intermunicipal Cooperation and executive secretary of the Mercociudades Organization. He was also vice president of the Paraguayan Organization of Intermunicipal Cooperation (OPACI) from 1994 to 1996 and president of the Association of Municipalities of the Metropolitan Area (AMUAM) in 1995 and 1996.

1998 vice presidential campaign

In 1996, Filizzola became the president of the National Encounter Party, this made him the head of the third largest force in Paraguayan politics at the time. That same year he formed his own faction within the party, called ''Participación Amplia, Integración Solidaridad'' (PAIS). In 1998, Filizzola formed an alliance with the liberals, becoming the

of Domingo Laíno, who was running for president for a third consecutive time. Laíno lost once again, this time to Raúl Cubas and Luis María Argaña, who united the Colorado Party under one

ticket Ticket or tickets may refer to: Slips of paper * Lottery ticket * Parking ticket, a ticket confirming that the parking fee was paid (and the time of the parking start) * Toll ticket, a slip of paper used to indicate where vehicles entered a to ...

. In March of 1999, Filizzola was replaced as president of the National Encounter Party by Euclides Acevedo.

Senator (2003-2011)

In 2000, Filizzola left the National Encounter Party, taking his faction with him to form his own party, the Party for a Country of Solidarity. In 2003 Filizzola was elected

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

, along with José Morínigo Alcaraz, giving his party two seats in the Senate. In 2008 he was reelected for a second term, the same year

became the first

leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politi ...

elected president. In 2010, Filizzola was one of the founders of the

Guasú Front The Guasú Front (; ''Guasú'' being the Guarani language, Guarani word for "big", "large" or "great") is a Democratic socialism, democratic socialist electoral alliance in Paraguay for the 2013 Paraguayan general election, general election in ...

, a coalition of political parties created to unite the scattered Paraguayan left and support President Lugo without the need of the liberals. Filizzola was initially chosen by the Guasú Front as their candidate for mayor of Asunción in the 2010 municipal elections, however, out of fear of losing his seat in the Senate, they replaced him with Ricardo Canese.

Minister of the Interior (2011-2012)

On 26 August 2011, President Fernando Lugo appointed Filizzola Minister of the Interior, replacing his cousin Rafael Filizzola. Filizzola's seat in the Senate was taken by Samuel García Paniagua. Filizzola served as Interior Minister in a uniquely turbulent time, marked by increasingly violent clashes between landowners and landless farmers who occupied lands that were taken away from them by the Stroessner regime. The violence reached its peak on 15 June 2012, when a confrontation killed six police officers and eleven occupiers, this came to be known as the Curuguaty Massacre. The events of Curuguaty led to a political crisis, were both Lugo and Filizzola were kicked out of office by the Congress through

impeachment Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eur ...

. Filizzola went back to his seat in the Senate.

Senator (2012-2023)

In 2013, Filizzola was elected for a third term in the Senate, this time as a member of the Guasú Front and no longer an ally of the liberals. That election also brought

Horacio Cartes Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara (; born 5 July 1956) is a Paraguayan politician and businessman who is serving as president of the Colorado Party (Paraguay), Colorado Party since 2023, having previously served as president of Paraguay from 2013 to 2 ...

to power. In March of 2017, the Guasú Front, including Filizzola, allied with President Horacio Cartes and his faction of the Colorado Party to pass a

constitutional amendment A constitutional amendment (or constitutional alteration) is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly alt ...

that would allow the president to run for a second term. The Guasú Front did this so Lugo could run in the 2018 election, even if it could backfire by giving Cartes five more years in office. The amendment was extremely controversial, since reelection was intentionally banned by the constitution, written in 1992, out of fear of another dictatorship like that of Stroessner, who was president for eight terms. Hundreds of protestors, furious at the ''cartistas'' and the Guasú Front, demanded the amendment be stopped, eventually burning down part of the Congress. After weeks of violence throughout April, which included the death of an unarmed civilian at the hands of police, the crisis ended when Cartes gave up and announced he would no longer seek reelection. FIlizzola, however, maintains his position to this day, claiming the process was legal and democratic, blaming the violence on those opposed to the amendment. In 2018 Filizzola won a fourth term. He then ran for a fifth term in the 2023 general election, but lost, ending his decades-long career in the Senate.

References

External links

Senator Carlos Filizzola (2003-2008) , SILpy

Senator Carlos Filizzola (2008-2013) , SILpy

Senator Carlos Filizzola (2013-2018) , SILpy

Senator Carlos Filizzola (2018-2023) , SILpy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Filizzola Pallares, Carlos 1959 births Living people Politicians from Asunción Paraguayan people of Italian descent National Encounter Party politicians Party for a Country of Solidarity politicians Interior ministers of Paraguay Members of the Senate of Paraguay Presidents of the Senate of Paraguay Paraguayan physicians Universidad Nacional de Asunción alumni 20th-century Paraguayan politicians 21st-century Paraguayan politicians