Paraguay
In Latin America, the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation cooperates with the Unión de Partidos Latinoamericanos (UPLA) – a cooperation organization for center-right parties in Latin America and a member of the International Democrat Union (IDU).
Population: 6.5 million (2011 estimate)
Area: 406 752 km2
GDP (PPP): 33,27 billion dollar (2010 estimate)
GDP per capita (PPP): 4 900 $ (2010 estimate)
Rate of growth: 14,5 % (2010 estimate)
Head of state and head of government: Fernando Armindo Lugo Mendez
From 1865 to 1870 the War of the Triple Alliance raged with Paraguay on the losing side. Two thirds of all adult males were killed and Paraguay lost a lot of territory. In the aftermath of the war, Paraguay stagnated politically and economically. During the years of 1954-1989, Paraguay was ruled by a junta led by Alfredo Stroessner. The country’s economy was mismanaged and Paraguay became a haven for Nazi war criminals and businessmen seeking to evade domestic prosecution. For the last 10-15 years, however, Paraguay has developed in a more democratic direction. Elections have been free and democratic ever since 1989. Human rights are increasingly respected, though problems still remain. The legal system is, according to the law, independent of the political power, but the system is, in reality, susceptible to political pressure. There is no state censorship and media is free. However, ownership of the media is highly concentrated and radio transmissions with content critical of the regime have been jammed.
The public administration is reminiscent of 35 years of military dictatorship – corruption is pervasive and the bureaucracy is inefficient. The most recent parliamentary elections were held in April of 2008 and the next ones are due in April of 2013.
The government is formed by Asociación Nacional Republicana (ANR) along with Partido Colorado, which is a partner of the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation. A new president was elected in the 2008 elections – Fernando Lugo – who assumed office in August 2008. Lugo is a member of Alianza Patriotica por el Cambio (APC).
There are plans for privatising state-owned companies, but violent protests have delayed the implementation. Furthermore, in spring 2005, the parliament voted against a proposal from the government concerning the privatisation of public assets. The national debt is mounting and the rate of growth has been negative for four out of seven of the last years. In terms of GDP per capita, the economy is on the same level as in 1980. Analysts attribute poor economic performance to political instability, corruption, poor infrastructure and lack of structural reforms. However, the underground economy makes up for some this.
In May 2008, the Unión de Naciones Suramericanas (Unasur) was founded. It is a union of the South American nations modelled on the EU. The union already has twelve member states, though its function is, as of yet, mostly symbolic.
It is a stated goal of the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation to educate female decision-makers. In the autumn of 2010, the conference Empoderamiento de Mujeres took place in Honduras. The participants came from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Venezuela and the Dominican republic. Concurrently with this conference a youth conference was arranged around a Jarl Hjalmarson publication entitled “Principles for a Free Society”.
