Election Time!

So the elections just took place in Paraguay last night!  (JA JA, did you think I was going to talk about our elections?!  Because I´m not! Just Paraguayan elections!)

So, some history.  There are two distinct parties in Paraguay: The Colorados and the Liberales.  Since Paraguay has been been a "democratic" country after the fall of the long-reigning Dictator Strossener (a short 16 year period), the Colorados have been in charge.  Might I add that Colorados have always been in charge, such as Strossener was a Colorado.  If you ask any Grandfather around here, they will tell you stories of after the "war" (I´m not sure which one, Wars del Chaco or the one with Brasil&Argentina vs. Paraguay that practically whiped them off the map) but after the ¨war¨ the Colorados went around taking advantage of the unstableness and went around wreaking havoc scaring the people into supporting them, ransacking villages, etc.

The democracy was in quotes above as what Paraguay has been experiencing is nothing what real democracy is.  Many older Paraguayans insist that they should go back to a dictatorship because things were better then, there were no children in the streets, people didn´t rob and steal, and the youth didn´t go out drinking until 6 am as they do now.  Everything in the past is rose-colored and they don´t think about the fact they didn´t have any personal freedom, and the sure the secret police beat the hell out of anybody that tried to steal, but, hey!  It worked as far as they were concerned.  And there was still great poverty, you just didn´t see it. Sadly, a lot of Paraguayans will say themselves, ¨We are too poorly-educated to take care of ourselves".  When I say poorly educated, I am translating directly.... they don´t mean like they don´t have university degrees etc, they are saying mal-educada, which is more like, they don´t know how to behave themselves, they don´t know how to be good, more or less.... it´s quite sad they would say that.  But, you can´t blame them, the older ones, for thinking that things were better, as far as they are concerned it was!

So, this "democracy" that I speak of has actually been a completley corrupt government that totally robs all the money from the country into the pockets of a few.  All important jobs are held by Colorado supporters, a huge network of connections.  People in postitions at the Municipality of Asuncion that don´t know how to do their actual job, but get paid the big bucks to just sit around, go to events and be important.  A LOT of missing money.  Basically, what landed Paraguay for a couple of years as the #1 most corrupt country, and in recent years lower as the 3rd or 4th.  (Though we are like the 8th or 9th people!).

Sooooo, election year came again.  Things proceeded as normal.  The Colorados started throwing their parties and buying votes, giving poor farmers a hoe, a shovel, a banner (to put up in their yard), and a pig or something for their vote.  Giving out free medicines, making donations, there was even a truck going through my neighborhood offering to repair you roof, thanks to the Colorados!  And people in the past said, sure, I´ll take a free roof repair.  And then would actually vote Colorado, because they got a roof out of it.  Well, apparently this year, the people have had enough!

Well, I don´t doubt they took a lot of free stuff, the people didn´t go to the polls voting Colorado this year.  There 4 canidates.  Lino-Olveido, and ex-military guy who ran on the Liberale bill, but what he really did a good job of doing was dividing the Colorados for him and Blanca, a female canidate who kept playing up her womanhood as something new for PY (in this totally machista society).  Not that because she is woman is why she lost, though.  She lost because she would be the new face of corruption, same old same old.  As the election time close it was apparent that the Colorados themselves were divided, and that she was going to have an easy win like all the other elections.  Lino had a lot of fancy television comercials that showed all the projects he had planned (like buildings and things) but it´s like where was all the money going to come from to do these things?  And of course, creating jobs, creating jobs, creating jobs. Then there was Adul or something, and almost no one voted for him, he was young, his party was named El Partido Querido, like the liked Party or something, and his slogan was "Basta Carajo!" Which is kinda of like "Enough (or Stop) the crap!" or maybe "Cut the crap!" it was edgy, and too young and he did not win over hardly anyone.  Then, there was Lugo.  I need to do a little bit more research on him, but he is a priest.  He was almost not allowed to run because how is someone who is supposedly married to God going to be President, too?  It´s like a Catholic conflict of interests.  He had to get permission from the Catholics to run, does this mean he went to the Vatican?  Maybe, I´d have to look that up really....I also know he has either really supported, or just pubicly supported FARC, so that is kind of controversial.  And, he was somehow being held in jail for awhile under suspension of being involved in the kidnapping and murder of the ex-vice president´s daughter, back during when he was really vice-president.  His how platform was that he has always wanted to help the poor, which is one of the many reasons he became a priest,.  But, then he realized that he can only do so much as a priest, to stop the poverty he has to do more, God spoke to him and told him to run.  He´s all about cleaning up the corruption and lifting Paraguay up from the low, low place it has fallen.  Soooo, yeah, it was an interesting election this year. 

And the winner is..........drum roll please.............................LUGO!  He spoke last night saying that he hopes this will be the mark of a new day in Paraguay, no more corruption, etc. And hopefully, all the Paraguayans living in New York City, in Spain, in Buenos Aires, will start being able to return home.  That the international world will know of Paraguay for more than just their poverty, etc.  Aye!  Tears welled up in my eyes last night, and as I write this they are again.

I don´t know what´s going to happen really.  Does this spiritual leader who wants what´s best for PY really know how to run the country to get it going somewhere better than where it is?  I don´t know.  Will it just be a new system of corruption, people taking advantage of the change of head of state? I don´t know.  But, at least now, there´s hope.  And without hope, what do you have?

So, I hope that the next few years will show progress for this little forgotten country of the South.  I hope to God that children won´t have to work in the street, doing summer-solts (saults?) in front of cars at red lights for money, shoeless and dirty.  I hope children can stop working.  Working in the buses selling lottery tickets, selling cakes, selling nothing, only their voice for a song and then going around asking for a donation, with matted hair they scrath probably full of lice.  Just like their little swollen tummies, full of worms.  I really hope to God.

So, here´s to hope!  VIVA PARAGUAY!!