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The Transition from

Dictatorship towards
Democracy in Paraguay
The Making of Latin America Class
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Group 4:

Fara Sheila Azalia 16/399275/SP/27408

Hafilda Estiningtyas 17/408340/SP/27637

M. Rizqi Ariowibowo 17/415949/SP/28118

Novinda Sekar Putri 17/411502/SP/27806

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Table of Contents
-Background
-Research Question
-Conceptual Framework
-Discussion on:
1. The Era of Dictatorship
2. The Shift towards
Democracy
3. Democratization’ Form to
Function
4. Today’s Paraguay
-Conclusion
 Study Case’ Background
Paraguay considered as one of the poorest and least developed countries in the region of
Latin America.

● Traditional dictators
○ Alfredo Stroessner -> ‘iron triangle’
○ Rodriguez

Dictatorship is the starting point for analysis to see the process of democratization.
Research Question(s)

1 “What are the factors contributed in democratic

transition in Paraguay, from the dictatorship regime
towards today’s Paraguay’s political system?”
 Conceptual Framework

Democratization & State-Building Mechanism

-Internal Factors: Dictatorship & Internal Factions

-External Factors: US influence

We divide our analysis into four components:

Dictatorship -> shift -> democratization -> Today’s Paraguay

DISCUSSION
 The Era of Dictatorship

Three dictators from the very first time Paraguay got its independence:

Dr. Jose Gaspar Carlos Antonio Fransisco Solano

Rodriguez de Francia Lopez Lopez
The Era of Dictatorship:
Alfredo Stroessner
Alfredo Stroessner
Alfredo Stroessner rose to power by staging an armed
rebellion--Paraguay’s traditional way of rising to
power by ousting Federico Chavez in 1954
He maintained his regime for 35 years, the
longest other than Paraguayan dictators.

How come?

By
1) Utilizing Colorado Party
2) weakening the power of armed
forces.
3) Using the power of ‘symbolism’.
Colorado Party
Its strategies:
1) Utilizing secesionales (local and
It used to be a factionalized party with so many regional politicians)
internal conflicts, however under Stroessner, it 2) Using spies (spyragues) with the
became one vertical and coherent power for him to secesionales
3) Controlling the media
maintain his regime.
4) Engage with armed forces and not
giving the armed forces any rights
5) Isolating and detaining political
opponents inside the factions
6) Obligating everyone to enter the
party
As a result, Colorado Party became one of the most successful political movements
organized in Latin America, noted by Sanders.
How does Colorado control the civil society?

By the mechanism called systematic co-option and force.

-> protest at any level was repressed and controlled

directly by the party.
-> by doing a preventative measure towards any kind of
critics before any critics gain popular support.
 1) Stroessner as the national identity of
The Strategy of Paraguay.
2) He is seen as the national figure who
Symbolism will bring social harmony to the
conflictual Paraguay.
3) Stamps with his portraits, currencies
with his pictures, and his portraits
were all over the streets, barrios, and
plazas
The Fall of Stroessner Regime (Internal
Factions)
● Militantes (another new faction inside the Colorado Party)
○ Success at mobilizing and controlling some aspects; victory in secesionales elections, creating a four-man state
○ Spreading their power to the armed forces
○ A loyal faction towards Stroessner
● Militantes received opposition from tradicionalistas and other opposition groups
● All other opposition groups, including tradicionalistas were united in opposing militantes
● When stroessner’s health began to decline, all the opposition groups began to form rebellion
against the militantes
● Militantes is the only instrument that Stroessner relied on
Dictatorship
● Dictatorship is no longer applicable in the world
system

to ●
●
Dictatorship led towards a catastrophe
Corruption- Nepotism- Economic Crisis (High rate

Democracy ●
of Poverty, Human Rights Violation,
The misuse of power
● The people starve for equality
● Stroessner regime was ultimately collapsed on 3
February 1989 not only supported by coup but US
soft power leverage indecisively contributed a lot
to the regime’s changes.
 The U.S is forced to aid the young nation of Paraguay due to the state

U.S Influence
legitimacy in the world system. Furthermore it is also how the U.S invest in
the state within the infrastructure. It is also how United States gain its soft
power. Most importantly it is how U.S must fulfil its title; with the bonus of
economic cooperation within its exports and imports.

Foreign Develo Invest

Aids pment ment
Democratization’
Form to
Function
 1981 Electoral Law
One of the notable democratic accomplishments was the formulation of Strӧẞner’ 1981 electoral law replacement. The
new law contained 6 key changes:

01 | Congressional seats were to be allocated on the basis of proportional representation

instead of granting an automatic two-thirds majority to the party with the most votes

02 | Military personnel were prohibited membership in political parties

03 | Independent candidates were allowed

04 | Direct internal party elections were mandated

05 | The state would finance political campaigns for all parties, and

06 | Political media access was to be regulated

 Staging of Open Election

Municipal Elections President Juan Carloz Wasmosy November 1996 Municipal Elections
Colorados Party lost 52 towns After 18 months of unstable administration, It was the fairest and most open
and cities Rodriguez broke the tradition of continuismo. elections ever experienced in Paraguay

1992 1995

1991 1993 1996

New Constitution
Constitution of new liberalised
legal framework was created to
promote an open institutions for
functioned democracy
August 1995 Pact of Governability
Supreme Court was more balanced,
supported by the TSJE or Tribunal Superior
de Justicia Electoral.
Aftermath of Democratizing Paraguay

Besieged Party Electoral

Democracy Factionalism Mechanism

Economic
Judicial Reform Corruption
Shortfalls
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Today’s Paraguay Democracy

●
CONCLUSION
Thank you.