Ruling Party Candidate Wins Narrow Victory in Paraguay Vote
- Former senator Abdo Benitez beat rival by just under 4 points
- Result proved much closer than expected by most pollsters
Mario Abdo Benitez, a former senator from the ruling Colorado Party, won Sunday’s presidential election in Paraguay, in a surprisingly narrow victory over the opposition candidate.
Abdo Benitez, 46, whose father was the secretary of long-ruling dictator Alfredo Stroessner, had 46.4 percent of the vote, with almost 100 percent of voting stations counted, according to preliminary results from the electoral court. Former public works minister Efrain Alegre trailed with 42.7 percent of votes. Speaking at a press conference after the court’s statement, Alegre thanked his supporters, saying he respected the initial results, but would wait for final certification. The winner will take office August 15 when tobacco magnate and incumbent president Horacio Cartes steps down.