The municipal primaries in Paraguay left a key result ahead of the elections on October 4: the ruling Colorado party prevailed in Asunción with Camilo Pérez, while the Authentic Radical Liberal Party renewed its leadership with a clear advantage from Alcides Riveros, in a day marked by low participation, allegations of irregularities, and several incidents.
According to TREP data, Pérez, the candidate from Honor Colorado, defeated the dissident Arnaldo Samaniego by more than 35,000 votes in the internal elections of the National Republican Association. After the results were announced, the elected leader thanked for the support received and assured that he would seek to organize the party ahead of the municipal contest in October, appealing for internal harmony after a campaign marked by tension among Colorado sectors.
Camilo Pérez, the candidate of the Colorado Party in the municipal elections for Asunción
The minister of the Superior Court of Electoral Justice, Jorge Bogarín, confirmed the closure of the counting in Asunción and ratified Camilo Pérez's victory. He also reported that the cities in the Central department, one of the politically most significant districts in the country, had been fully counted.
Meanwhile, the PLRA had a decisive election for its internal future. With 90% of the tables counted, Alcides Riveros, from Nuevo Liberalismo, emerged as the winner to lead the party until 2031 with 49% of the votes. In second place was Ever Villalba, from the Radical Front, with 20%, while Dionisio Amarilla, noted for promoting a rapprochement with the cartismo, was relegated with only 11%.
Within liberalism, the rejection of Amarilla stood out; the election showed that a significant part of the liberal structure did not support the idea of bringing the party closer to the ruling Colorado party, in a move that could reorganize the Paraguayan opposition for the coming years.
Alcides Riveros, the candidate of the PLRA.
The TSJE warned of “very low” and historic participation, with only 24% average turnout by mid-afternoon. Luis Alberto Mauro, an advisor to the electoral body, acknowledged that he did not recall a level of apathy similar to previous processes.
There were also reports of identity theft, seizure of ballots, false credentials, disturbances, and alleged maneuvers to induce voting. In Asunción, prosecutors intervened due to altered accreditations and cases of voters who appeared as if they had already voted.
