Paraguay's Political Landscape Ahead of Election: Challenges and Opportunities.

Paraguay is preparing for a closely contested general election that could see the ruling rightwing Colorado party defeated after more than 75 years of almost uninterrupted power. The Colorado party has been bankrolled by the enormous wealth of former president Horacio Cartes, but in January he was targeted with US sanctions for “rampant corruption that undermines democratic institutions” and alleged links to Hezbollah, starving the Colorado electoral machine of funding and access to bank loans. The rise of a populist “anti-system” candidate, Paraguayo “Payo” Cubas, has also added to the uncertainty.