Paraguayan voters Sunday chose a president from the right-wing party that has held power for nearly eight decades, at the expense of a centre-left rival whose campaign has centered on fighting endemic corruption.

Santiago Peña, a 44-year-old economist and former finance minister, won more than 42 percent of the vote, continuing the dominance of the right-wing conservative Colorado party, the results showed.

His opponent, Efrain Allegri, 60, of the center-left coalition of parties, received about 27.5 percent, despite his narrow lead in opinion polls.

The result bucked the recent trend in Latin America, with voters voting for left-wing parties to punish the political class and major parties.

The Colorado Party has been ruling almost continuously since 1947, despite the transformation of the regime from dictatorship to democracy in 1989.

But Peña was forced during the election campaigns to defend himself from the stigma attached to his political mentor, former President Horacio Cartes, whom Washington officially described in 2022 as "extremely corrupt" and prevented him from entering and dealing with US soil.

In his first speech after his election, he thanked Peña Cartes for his "unwavering dedication to the party" to cheers from his supporters at the party's headquarters.
Allegri conceded defeat, saying "the effort was not enough".

About 4.8 million voters out of a population of 7.5 million were invited to choose a successor to President Mario Abdo Benitez, who ended a five-year term defined by the constitution.

They also voted to elect their deputies, and the Colorado party achieved the largest share in the Senate, with about 43 percent.

Although voting is compulsory in this country, the participation rate was only 63 percent.

Endemic corruption, crime and poverty were major campaign themes.

Like his rival, Alegre, Peña is a conservative with hardline stances on abortion and same-sex marriage in a country where the overwhelming majority is Catholic.

In terms of international politics, Peña pledged to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan, unlike Allegri, who promised to transfer official recognition to China.

Paraguay is one of only 13 countries in the world - and the only one in South America - to officially recognize Taiwan.
The latter congratulated Benya on his election.

"Based on common values such as democracy, freedom and traditional friendship between the two countries, we will continue to strengthen cooperation and exchanges with the new government of Paraguay," Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement Monday.

Peña also pledged, in statements to Agence France-Presse, to move the Paraguayan embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Allegri has repeatedly pointed to endemic corruption in the Colorado party.

Paraguay ranks 137 out of 180 in the ranking of the NGO Transparency International.

Per capita GDP is expected to grow by 4.8 percent in 2023, according to the Central Bank, and 4.5 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund, which is among the highest rates in Latin America.

However, a quarter of the population suffers from poverty.

Indigenous groups and slum dwellers particularly complain of neglect and many have said they will not vote.
Peña has pledged to create half a million jobs without explaining how.

"From tomorrow (Monday) we will start planning for a Paraguay that we all want, without unfair social inequalities. We have a lot of work to do," he said in his victory speech.

Crime is also a concern. The Anti-Money Laundering Attorney General, a crime-fighting mayor, and a journalist were killed in 2022, in settling scores between cartels.

Because Paraguay's borders are porous (landlocked and located between Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia) it is a major transit point for drug trafficking into Europe.

"We hope the least bad wins. Everyone has weaknesses," Marta Fernandez, 29, told AFP after casting her vote in Asuncion.

Also in the capital, voter Ana Barros, 60, said, "At least we must hope for a decrease in the crime rate. What I hope as a mother is for the children to be able to study and work."