Editing Politics of Paraguay

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{{Politics of Paraguay}}
'''Politics of Paraguay''' takes place in a framework of a [[presidential system|presidential]] [[representative democracy|representative democratic]] republic. The National Constitution mandates a [[separation of powers]] in three branches. [[Executive power]] is exercised solely by the [[President of Paraguay|President]]. [[Legislative power]] is vested in the two chambers of the [[Congress of Paraguay|National Congress]]. The [[Judicial Branch|Judiciary]] power is vested on [[Tribunals]] and Courts of [[Civil Law (legal system)|Civil Law]] and a nine-member Supreme Court of Justice, all of them independent of the executive and the legislature.

Historically, Paraguay has been characterized by civil wars, coups and authoritarianism.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Valenzuela |first=Arturo |date=1997 |title=Paraguay: The Coup that Didn't Happen |url=https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.1997.0014 |journal=Journal of Democracy |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=43–55 |doi=10.1353/jod.1997.0014 |issn=1086-3214}}</ref> Paraguay was for several decades under dictatorial rule by [[Alfredo Stroessner]] and his [[Colorado Party (Paraguay)|Colorado Party]] until he was [[1989 Paraguayan coup d'état|ousted from power in 1989]], which set off a democratization process.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Lambert |first=Peter |date=2000 |title=A decade of electoral democracy: continuity, change and crisis in Paraguay |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261305000000024 |journal=Bulletin of Latin American Research |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=379–396 |doi=10.1016/S0261-3050(00)00002-4 |issn=0261-3050}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Nickson |first=Andrew |date=2025 |title=The Legacies of the Stroessner Dictatorship in Paraguay |url=https://online.ucpress.edu/currenthistory/article-abstract/124/859/68/205389/The-Legacies-of-the-Stroessner-Dictatorship-in |journal=Current History |language=en |volume=124 |issue=859 |pages=68–73 |doi=10.1525/curh.2025.124.859.68 |issn=0011-3530}}</ref> 

Since 1989, there has been an expansion of civil and political liberties, as well as elections at presidential, congressional, and municipal levels.<ref name=":0" /> However, the democratization process has been limited due to the firm control of the Colorado Party on the Paraguay state.<ref name=":1" /> The Colorado Party retains power through clientelistic practices.<ref name=":1" /> Corruption is widespread in Paraguay.<ref name=":1" /> {{Democracy Index rating|Paraguay|flawed democracy|2023}} After having been rated a "flawed democracy" for 1 year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) returned Paraguay's rating to "hybrid regime" in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Democracy Index 2024 |url=https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/democracy-index-2024/ |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Economist Intelligence Unit |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Executive branch==

{{Office-table}}
|[[President of Paraguay|President]]
|[[Santiago Peña]]
|[[Colorado Party (Paraguay)|Colorado Party]]
|15 August 2023
|}
[[File:PalacioLopez.jpg|thumb|[[Palacio de los López]]]]
The president, popularly elected for one 5-year term with no chance of re-elections, appoints a cabinet. The president nominates the Council of Ministers. The presidential elections of 2008 were won by [[Fernando Lugo]], a [[Bishop (Catholicism)|Roman Catholic bishop]] whose ministerial duties have been suspended on his request by the [[Holy See]]. It was the first time in 61 years that the [[Colorado Party (Paraguay)|Colorado Party]] lost a presidential election in Paraguay, and only a second time that a leftist served as president after [[February Revolution (Paraguay)|1936–37]], and the first time one was ever freely elected. In 2013, Lugo was removed from office through the process of [[Impeachment of Fernando Lugo|impeachment]]. This action was widely hailed as a coup d'état by heads of state throughout Latin America,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-03-25 |title=Paraguay likely to return long-dominant conservative party after brush with leftist bishop |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/paraguay-likely-to-return-long-dominant-conservative-party-after-brush-with-leftist-bishop/ |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Associated Press |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Does Paraguay risk pariah status with president's ouster? |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2012/0624/Does-Paraguay-risk-pariah-status-with-president-s-ouster |access-date=2025-05-05 |work=Christian Science Monitor |issn=0882-7729}}</ref> with leaders from nations such as Argentina and Ecuador announcing they would refuse to recognize his successor as the legitimate President of Paraguay.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-06-26 |title=Argentina "no convalidará el golpe en Paraguay" mientras que Brasil sugirió que quedaría fuera de la Unasur y el Mercosur - lanacion.com |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626230154/http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1484357-unasur-y-mercosur-tomaria-medidas-severas-ante-la-remocion-de-lugo |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref> 

In May 2023, [[Santiago Peña]] of the long-ruling Colorado Party, won the presidential [[2023 Paraguayan general election|election]] to succeed [[Mario Abdo Benítez|Mario Abdo]] as the next [[President of Paraguay]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Amid protests, authorities uphold legitimacy of Paraguay election |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/3/amid-protests-authorities-uphold-legitimacy-of-paraguay-election |work=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref>  On 15 August 2023, Santiago Peña was sworn in as Paraguay's new president.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Desantis |first1=Daniela |last2=Elliott |first2=Lucinda |last3=Elliott |first3=Lucinda |title=Paraguay's President Pena sworn in, Taiwan VP in attendance |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/new-paraguayan-president-santiago-pena-sworn-2023-08-15/ |work=Reuters |date=16 August 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

The workplace of the [[President of Paraguay]] is the [[Palacio de los López]], in [[Asunción]]. The Presidential Residence is [[Mburuvichá Roga]], also in Asunción. Once presidents leave office, they are granted by the Constitution the speaking-but-non-voting position of [[Senator for life]].

===Office of the First Lady===
In [[Paraguay]], the post of the [[First Lady of Paraguay]] is official.{{cn|date=September 2022}}

==Legislative branch==
[[File:Palacio legislativo en Asunción.jpg|thumb|[[Congress of Paraguay]]]]
The [[Congress of Paraguay|National Congress]] (''Congreso Nacional'') has two [[bicameralism|chambers]]. The [[Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay|Chamber of Deputies]] (''Cámara de Diputados'') has 80 members, elected for a five-year term by [[proportional representation]]. The [[Senate of Paraguay|Chamber of Senators]] (''Cámara de Senadores'') has 45 members, elected for a five-year term by [[proportional representation]].

==Political parties and elections==
{{Elect|List of political parties in Paraguay|Elections in Paraguay}}

===Latest elections===
{{main|2023 Paraguayan general election}}

====President====
{{#section-h:2018 Paraguayan general election|President}}

====Senate====
{{#section-h:2018 Paraguayan general election|Senate}}

====Chamber of Deputies====
{{#section-h:2018 Paraguayan general election|Chamber of Deputies}}

==Judicial branch==
[[File:Palacio de Justicia Paraguay by Felipe Méndez.jpg|thumb|[[Supreme Court of Paraguay]]]]
Paraguay's highest court is the [[Supreme Court of Paraguay]].

==Administrative divisions==
The [[Constitution of Paraguay]] states "The law will regulate the various areas in which these officials and employees can provide their services, including the judicial, the diplomatic and consular professions, the areas of scientific and technological research, civil services, military and police. This will not preclude others.
" Each of Paraguay's 17 departments is headed by a popularly elected governor.  Paraguay is divided in 17 departments (departamentos, singular – departamento) and one capital city; [[Alto Paraguay]], [[Alto Paraná]], [[Amambay]], Asunción (city), [[Boquerón Department|Boquerón]], [[Caaguazú Department|Caaguazú]], [[Caazapá]], [[Canindeyú]], Central, [[Concepción, Paraguay|Concepción]], [[Cordillera]], [[Guairá Department|Guairá]], [[Itapúa]], [[Misiones]], [[Ñeembucú]], [[Paraguarí]], [[Presidente Hayes]], [[San Pedro Department, Paraguay|San Pedro]].

==See also==
*[[Dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner|''El Stronato'']]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080404154912/http://www.camdip.gov.py/ Chamber of Deputies of Paraguai]
* [http://www.senado.gov.py/ Senate of Paraguay]
* [http://www.presidencia.gov.py/ Presidency of Paraguay]
* [http://www.pj.gov.py/ Supreme Court of Justice]

{{Americas topic|Politics of}}

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[[Category:Politics of Paraguay| ]]