Conservative Economist Santiago Pena Narrowly Wins Paraguay Presidential Election

Santiago Pena, the candidate of Paraguay's conservative Colorado Party, has won the presidential election with 42.7% of the vote, defeating centre-left rival Efrain Alegre. Pena's victory marks the party's return to power after a tightly-contested campaign that threatened to end its seven-decade hold on power. Both candidates were socially conservative, defending strong anti-abortion rights and anti-gay marriage stances in an overwhelmingly Catholic nation. Corruption, poverty, social inequality, and escalating crime were among the key election issues.