Paraguay election: Mario Abdo Bentez victory recalls brutal dictatorship

Abdo Benítez, son of Alfredo Stroessner’s private secretary, defeats centre-left coalition in narrow win for the right

Laurence Blair in Asunción
Tue 24 Apr 2018 01.00 EDT


The son of the private secretary to Paraguay’s former dictator Alfredo Stroessner has narrowly snatched victory from a centre-left coalition after an election campaign that revived memories of Stroessner’s bloody 1954-89 rule.

Mario Abdo Benítez, 46 – from a conservative wing of the ruling Colorado party – thanked his opponent, Efraín Alegre, 55, of the Alianza grouping, for a “healthy competition”. Abdo Benítez promised to work for national unity.

. . .

On the trail, Abdo Benítez emphasised family values and hinted at enforcing obligatory military service. He repeatedly refused to condemn the dictatorship outright, expressing regret for the 425 people killed and nearly 19,000 tortured under Stroessner but emphasising what he called the “achievements” of the military regime.

. . .


Yet Sunday’s vote didn’t entirely go as expected. Despite the polls routinely giving Abdo Benítez a lead of 10-25 points, results came down to the wire, with Alegre losing by just 3.7 points – the lowest margin since Paraguay’s return to democracy.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/23/paraguay-election-mario-abdo-benitez-victory