ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay — The long-governing Colorado Party remained the dominant force of Paraguayan politics as the vote count from Sunday’s election gave an overwhleming lead to its presidential candidate, Santiago Peña, with nearly all votes counted.
With almost 99% of voting places reporting, Peña had 43% of the vote, compared to 27% for the closest challenger, Efraín Alegre, the candidate of the Pact for a New Paraguay, a broad-based opposition coalition that had hoped to end Colorado’s reign.
Voters also cast ballots for members of Congress.
The opposition had sought to capitalize on widespread discontent over high levels of corruption and deficiencies in the health and education systems that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paraguay has a relatively stable economy, but with high levels of poverty.
Outgoing President Mario Abdo Benítez called Peña “president-elect” in a congratulatory message on social media before a winner was officially declared. He also congratulated “the Paraguayan people for their large participation in this election day.”
Peña celebrated a showing that would make him Paraguay’s president on Aug. 15 while waiting for an official declaration of final results.
“Today we’re not celebrating a personal triumph, we’re celebrating the victory of a people who with their vote chose the path of social peace, dialogue, fraternity, and national reconciliation,” Peña told a crowd of supporters Sunday night. “Long live Paraguay! Long live the Colorado Party!”
Alegre acknowledged defeat shortly thereafter.
“Today, the results indicate that perhaps the effort we have made was not enough,” Alegre told reporters, adding that divisions among the opposition “prevented us from reaching the goal of being able to bring about the change that the majority of Paraguayans are asking of us.”
Before the vote, analysts had said the race looked to be tight and predicted Alegre could have a chance of unseating South America’s longest-governing party, which has essentially ruled Paraguay uninterrupted since 1947.