In the heart of Paraguay’s capital Asuncion, a tropical city close to the Argentine border, voters are gearing up for election day on Sunday, with the economy, corruption and Taiwan on their minds.
The farming nation of just under 7 million people will go to the polls to vote in what is expected to be a close contest between the slick, 44-year-old economist Santiago Pena representing the incumbent conservative Colorado Party and the 60-year-old political veteran Efrain Alegre leading a broad center-left coalition and pledging a foreign policy shake-up. Pollsters see a tight race, even a technical tie.
“Whoever wins is going to have to limit public spending because debt cannot continue to grow,” economist and former finance minister Cesar Barreto told Reuters, adding it was a “complex” moment for any new government. China and Taiwan loom large In political newscasts and columns, talk has centered on the debate about whether to end long-term diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of China, and a string of graft allegations against key Colorado Party leaders.
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