By Marc Masmiquel
Observer contributor

Fernando Lugo made history on April 20, when Paraguayans elected him president, marking the end of 61 years of rule by the conservative Colorado Party. Lugo, a former Catholic bishop, won for the leftist Patriotic Alliance for Change coalition with 41 percent of the vote, ahead of the Colorado’s Blanca Ovelar who garnered 31 percent of the electorate. Ovelar had hoped to be the first woman president of Paraguay. Lugo led a center-left coalition and promised to end corruption and inequality. He will be sworn in on August 15.

April 17, 2008

On Sunday, April 20th, general elections will be held in Paraguay. These elections have become especially important since the Colorado Party has kept power for 61 years, an unfortunate historical record within the context of already extinct Latin American dictatorships. The Paraguayan case reminds us how power can get halted despite serious corrupt practices, fears and threats to fair elections.

Photo by MARC MASMIQUEL

There will be about 2.8 million Paraguayans who will be summoned Sunday to elect a successor to the head of state, as well as the governors of the 17 provinces and their respective departmental boards, 45 senators, 80 deputies and 18 MPs of Mercosur, for a term of five years.

Running for the Colorado party is Blanca Ovelar. Running against her is Fernando Lugo, who is supported by the popular movement Tekojoja (which means unity in Guarani). The group is made up of social activists, farmers, trade unionists and indigenous groups. Lugo is a former bishop of one of the poorest areas of the country.

Yesterday marked the end of the Colorados’ campaign as 120,000 people gathered in front of the Congress as the current head of state, Nicanor Duarte Frutos, called for “defending the votes as if they were our own lives.” The Colorados did not hesitate when even the polls showed that they are not going to win. Colorful candidate, Blanca Ovelar opened the event with far from modest speech.

Photo by MARC MASMIQUEL

There is rumor of fraud. The election rolls show some contradicting data. Some include names of the dead. Nicanor Duarte Frutos has denounced the group of international observers and people he calls “social agitators” on Tuesday, saying they are in the country to carry out destabilizing actions in the event that his party wins the elections.

The opposition has called for a formal explanation from the Interior Minister. The head of Tekojoja movement, the Patriotic Alliance for Change, Anibal Carrillo came to the Ministry of Interior to require clarification on alleged plans to create disturbances and abuses on election day.

Photo by MARC MASMIQUEL

On top of all this Lino Oviedo will go on an unexpected trip to the United States. Oviedo told sources that he will travel there with an “invitation of a government friend.” It is a strange move.

April 18, 2008

The day has been distinguished by an increasing uncertainty for parties close to the government in power. Yesterday, after the end of campaigning, hundreds of thousands of citizens who support the candidacy of Fernando Lugo were seen in front of the National Congress.

This morning, in one of their headquarters in Asuncion, supporters of the Popular Movement Tekojoja are bustling. They are finalizing amidst telephones ringing, the radio playing and people at computers. In the courtyard they are taking tereré (grass mate with cold water). Others are walking, carrying flags and brochures. A tumultuous crowd is trying to get to the latest official press conference of the Alianza Patriótica para el Cambio (Patriotic Alliance for Change Coalition).

The coalition brings together a melting pot of parties that want change. The situation in the country has made this meeting possible, which was unimaginable at another time. The fact that 1 percent of the population owns more than 77 percent of the land shows this inequality. Paraguay is 4th in the world in terms of asymmetric distribution of land. There are almost a million illiterate people, and only 4 out of every 10 children receive a secondary education. Four hundred people have been killed by pesticides each year since 2000.

Yesterday Lugo ended the campaign with a mass celebration, with visiting artists from different countries. The festive flavor was spiced up by some law enforcement officials observing. Polls continue positioning the coalition in front of everyone else.

The crowd waved flags while street vendors offered popcorn, asadito and chewing-gum. The booming music, mixed with the smell of roast meat, gave the environment a popular flair so different from the martial rhythm of the Colorados.

“You will be the winners on Sunday. I will be your companion in this journey. I will be by your side as often as you wish. Be strong, happy, tenacious. Dream with us of the new homeland,” Lugo said.

“To my fellowmen from the Patriotic Alliance for Change, how beautiful are our flags united, multicolored, multiethnic, multicultural,” he said.

Photo by MARC MASMIQUEL

“We are not bothered by our differences, our identities within the alliance and we learned a lot from our fellowmen, that our country comes first, and our parties second.”

One of the Paraguayan television stations wanted a debate among the candidates but Lugo decided not to take part in it.

He said to the crowd: “Many people will wonder why Fernando Lugo was not in today’s debate. Fernando Lugo wants to have a serious government, wants a different country. Fernando Lugo doesn’t sell controversy. He wants peace.”

Oviedo said on that debate that he will win because his leading rivals are wearing dresses and he is wearing a pair of trousers.

Fraud is still rumored. There are reports of thousands of voters being taken to locations inland, to disperse the opponent vote.

April 19, 2008

With less than 24 hours to go till the elections, it is easy to be skeptical or doubtful. More than 100 international observers have interviewed the presidential candidates today.

Yesterday Fernando Lugo expressed his doubts in the Superior Court of Electoral Justice.

Straw polls are showing that Lugo, a 56-year-old former catholic bishop, should get between 31 and 39 percent of the vote, leading five points over the Colorado candidate.

Lugo had this to say to the foreign media: “For many people, changing the political course in Paraguay after about 60 years is being seen as something apocalyptic. We say this genuine transition is occurring. …We will do it with transparency, we´ll do it through a peaceful process.”

Blanca Olevar, 50, from the Colorado party said: “We want to reiterate once again our wishes for a tension-free polling day.”

Another candidate, a former general who led a coup in 1996, Lino Cesar Oviedo, from the National Union of Ethical Colorados (UNACE) party had between 21 and 28 percent of the vote in the straw poll.

Oviedo said: “My government won’t simply represent a change of president. It’ll be a tidy and disciplined change for development, based on seven macro-projects that will rescue people from their misery, their trash and their sadness”.

The head of mission of the observers from the Organization of American States, Emma Mejia, spoke of the fear of fraud. Nicanor Duarte Frutos, responded:

“Nobody can ensure the behavior of individuals. I can not say that there won’t be any abuse. No international observer can say that nobody is going to be clouding the electoral process. Human behavior is unpredictable. ”

There are over 500 international observers from a dozen countries here. Tomorrow experts from around the world will monitor the process. The media coverage will enhance transparency. Tomorrow democracy will consolidate the popular decisions of this unknown country, in the troubled Latin American context, among red earth, poverty and inequality.

April 20, 2008

Today the political course of Paraguay could change and break the continuity of the past six decades. Foreign correspondents will transmit news from some old barracks near Asuncion. Saturday was spent on agreeing on the details of the complexity involving these polls, whose results will be known tonight. Whoever wins will preside over the nation until 2014.

Ten thousand soldiers from the army and the police have been mobilized. President Duarte said that the government will be guarding the safety, ensuring order and protecting private property.

But controversies have not ceased, the so-called Department of Identification has expanded its schedule to 24-hours without interruption. Staff members commented that there have been a reported 5,000 thefts of identity cards.

Hesitant votes will tip the scales of power, but the tide seems to be turning towards Fernando Lugo. The candidate from the Colorado party, Blanca Ovelar has called Lugo “an outsider, without background or political experience.”

On Friday, at the close of his campaign, Lugo announced: “I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that for a long time, in our country, thieves of the motherland which have kidnapped hope are still among us. And the good news is that those who have kidnapped the illusions of our people have only three days left. That’s because we are going to rescue hope of the Paraguayan people with your help”.

April 21, 2008

On April 20, Paraguay was set free. Emotional tears fell until late at night. People celebrated the triumph of Fernando Lugo. Election Day was massive and from the early hours people went to 14,000 polling stations. Turnout was higher than 65 percent, a historical record.

A day after the elections, the local press reported that 92% of the votes have been counted: 40.82 percent for Lugo, 30.72 percent for Peru and 21.98 percent for Oviedo.

A contingent of international observers toured most polling stations, stoically affirming the willingness of hundreds of thousands of voters. Attempts at fraud nearly worked, but it wasn’t strong enough. Citizens from across the spectrum voted, from indigenous people to grandparents.

Around 8:30 p.m. in front of the Pantheon of Heroes, cheers from a large crowd trembled the heart of Asuncion. Lugo, protected by a bullet-proof vest was also protected by more than 700,000 votes.

The whole city quaked as it ended one of the darkest Latin-American phases.

Lugo said: “Today we can say that the small ones were qualified to win”.

Photo by MARC MASMIQUEL

April 22, 2008

Lugo will become president on August 15. Until then, the former bishop has a historical opportunity to implement government measures to generate a new strategy to reverse the enormous problems of Paraguay. The task is not easy.

Journalist Julio Benegas who is also general secretary of the Journalists Union of Paraguay, stated yesterday that this political change has been very important for the country. After this turning point, the real struggle will be materializing new strategies and plans. Benegas was happy, but also left a dose of skepticism for what will come in the next four months.

Tomas Zayas, peasant leader of the community of El Triunfo Alto Parana, who introduced the concept of community ownership as a fundamental right expressed caution.

The need to ensure real change is a necessity. In the next few months, Lugo will deal with development plans and will define a new social framework for the country. And it will no longer be under the red Colorado flag.

About the author

Marc Masmiquel is in Asunción, Paraguay, as an International Observer to cover the process of the elections of April 20th. He said he was part of the human contingent transferred to Asuncion, together with more than 300 people from more than 15 countries, under the regulations and accreditation of the Superior Court of Electoral Justice. “This work has completed the work of the Organization of American States on ensuring transparency in the election process. I came on behalf of the NGO NouSud, and developed in parallel a photo essay, which soon will be completed with a visit to rural communities in the border area close to Brazil,” he said. “My link with this country is that I worked as a teacher and as the project manager in several cooperation projects for development for two years, in the department of Canindeyú.”