The Presidential Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday congratulated Santiago Pena of the ruling conservative Colorado Party for winning the Paraguayan presidential election.
Pena, who has pledged to maintain Paraguay’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan, had 43 percent of the votes in a preliminary count from Sunday’s election, with nearly all voting areas reporting.
That was far ahead of the 27 percent held by his closest challenger, Efrain Alegre of the Pact for a New Paraguay, a broad-based opposition coalition that had united in an effort to bring Colorado’s seven-decade hold on power to an end.
Photo: Reuters
Alegre had said that he would cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognize China if elected.
Pena’s five-year term is to begin on Aug. 15, making the 44-year-old Paraguay’s youngest president since the nation’s return to democracy in 1989.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) congratulated Pena on his victory, expressing the hope that the policies he has pledged will be implemented smoothly and the country will prosper under his leadership, Presidential Office spokeswoman Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) said.
Paraguayans completed the election as a mature democracy, which is truly admirable, she quoted Tsai as saying, adding that Tsai hopes the friendship between the two countries will continue to deepen.
Taiwan has been working closely with Paraguay, an important ally in Latin America, in women’s empowerment, agriculture, fisheries, healthcare, education and culture, Tsai said.
Taiwan will continue to work with the Paraguayan government in ways that contribute to the well-being of people from both sides, she added.
Ambassador to Paraguay Jose Han (韓志正) extended his congratulations to the president-elect and vice president-elect on behalf of Taiwan, the ministry said in a statement.
Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez, who has been a long-term supporter of Taiwan, congratulated Pena on Twitter and said they would “initiate an orderly and transparent transition that strengthens our institutions and the country’s democracy.”
While visiting Taiwan in February, Abdo Benitez denied that his country would switch recognition to Beijing after the election, saying that severing diplomatic relations with Taiwan would be a “historic mistake.”
During his campaign, Pena vowed to promote economic and trade diplomacy, set up free nurseries, clamp down on drugs, alleviate poverty, create job opportunities and boost youth employment, the ministry said.
Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation and exchanges with Paraguay based on shared values, such as democracy and freedom, as well as the long-standing friendship between the two nations, it said.
Despite Pena’s win, “Taiwan cannot afford to be at ease regarding diplomatic relations,” Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said on Facebook.
As talk of Paraguay switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China gained some public support during the election campaign, Beijing will certainly attempt to use it to its advantage, he said.
The Colorado Party also had a strong showing in other races, winning 15 of the 17 governorships up for election and getting majorities in the Senate and the lower house.
“Today we’re not celebrating a personal triumph, we’re celebrating the victory of a people who with their vote chose the path of social peace, dialogue, fraternity, and national reconciliation,” Pena told a crowd of supporters on Sunday night. “Long live Paraguay. Long live the Colorado Party.”
Additional reporting by AP
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