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South America and South Atlantic Islands
Paraguay |
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Last updated: 5 January 2009 |
Country information
HISTORY
Asunción was founded on 15 August 1537 and is the oldest capital in Latin America. Paraguay declared independence on 14 May 1811, and Spanish rule ended peacefully. In 1865 war over land broke out against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay (the War of the Triple Alliance) and lasted until 1870. Paraguay suffered terribly and ended the war tragically under-populated and having lost some 55,000 square miles of territory to Brazil and Argentina, leaving it landlocked.
In 1932 war broke out against Bolivia over delimitation of borders in the Chaco region. Paraguay emerged victorious after three years of fighting and was awarded two-thirds of the disputed territory.
A period of considerable unrest began in 1947 and in May 1954 General Alfredo Stroessner (who had come to prominence during the Chaco War and who in 1947 helped the then government suppress an attempted rebellion) led a successful coup d’état . He subsequently ruled Paraguay by dictatorship for 35 years. Although he presided over a period of consistent growth and infrastructure development, there is evidence and allegations of a catalogue of serious human rights abuses during his rule. Corruption levels also greatly increased.
In 1989 Stroessner was ousted by another military coup led by his son-in-law General Andres Rodriguez. General Rodriguez held elections which he subsequently won. During his term in office he undertook some reforms and began a privatisation programme.
In May 1993 Juan Carlos Wasmosy won Paraguay’s first fully democratic elections and democratic rule has continued ever since, despite several challenges. Under Wasmosy, Paraguay became a founder member of Mercosur, the Southern Cone Common Market, with Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.
In May 1998 Raul Cubas Grau was elected President, backed by General Lino Oviedo, Commander of the Armed Forces. A period of political instability followed, culminating in the assassination of Vice President Luis Maria Argana in March 1999. Cubas resigned and was succeeded by Luis Gonzalez Macchi, then President of Congress. He faced an attempted coup in 2000 and survived an impeachment vote in 2002 for alleged fraud and corruption.
In April 2003 Nicanor Duarte Frutos won the presidential elections with 38% of the vote. He pledged to improve the economy and crack down on corruption. His tenure coincided with a renewed period of economic growth for Paraguay, underpinned by good global macro-economic fundamentals. His government's stand-by arrangement with the MIF on debt and public financing helped lay the groundwork for more sustainable growth.
