Paraguay: Political Parties & Elections

Paraguay's modern party system dates to 1887, when the Colorado Party (Asociación Nacional Republicana) and the Liberal Party emerged as rival organizations. The Colorados held power from their founding until a Liberal-led revolt unseated them in 1904, after which the Liberal Party dominated the presidency for roughly three decades, illustrating how thoroughly these two movements structured the country's early electoral life.

The Colorado Party returned to power and, from 1947 to 1962, stood as the only legal party in the country. General Alfredo Stroessner ruled as a military dictator from 1954 until his overthrow in a 1989 coup, governing through the Colorado Party's institutions even as genuine opposition was suppressed for most of his 35-year rule.

Paraguay has held regular elections since 1993, and the Colorado Party has won all but one of them, interrupted only briefly by an opposition victory in 2008. Recent contests, including Santiago Peña's decisive 2023 win over the Authentic Radical Liberal Party's candidate, have continued this pattern, with the Colorados also holding most governorships and majorities in both chambers of Congress.