Paraguay: Government#
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Paraguay conventional short form: Paraguay local long form: Republica del Paraguay local short form: Paraguay etymology: the precise meaning of the name Paraguay is unclear, but it seems to derive from the river of the same name; one explanation has the name meaning "water of the Payagua" (an indigenous tribe that lived along the river) |
|---|---|
| Government type | presidential republic |
| Capital | Asuncion
Asuncion
geographic coordinates: 25 16 S, 57 40 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends fourth Sunday in March |
| Administrative divisions | 17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital city*; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion*, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro |
| Independence | 14 May 1811 (from Spain) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 14 May 1811 (observed 15 May) |
| Constitution | several previous; latest approved and promulgated 20 June 1992; amended 2011, 2014 (2016) |
| Legal system | civil law system with influences from Argentine, Spanish, Roman, and French civil law models; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent: at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Paraguay dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 75 |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Horacio CARTES Jara (since 15 August 2013); Vice President Juan AFARA Maciel (since 15 August 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Horacio CARTES Jara (since 15 August 2013); Vice President Juan AFARA Maciel (since 15 August 2013) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a single 5-year term; election last held on 21 April 2013 (next to be held in April 2018) election results: Horacio CARTES elected president; percent of vote - Horacio CARTES (ANR) 45.8%, Efrain ALEGRE (PLRA) 36.9%, Mario FERREIRO (AP) 5.9%, Anibal CARRILLO (FG) 3.3%, other 8% |
| Legislative branch | description: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members directly elected in 18 multi-seat constituencies - corresponding to the country's 17 departments and capital city - by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators - last held on 21 April 2013 (next to be held in April 2018); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 21 April 2013 (next to be held in April 2018) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 19, PLRA 12, FG 5, PDP 3, Avanza Pais 2, UNACE 2, PEN 1, PPQ 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 44, PLRA 27, Avanza Pais 2, PEN 2, UNACE 2, FG 1, PPQ 1, other 1 |
| Judicial branch | highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 justices divided 3 each into the Constitutional Court, Civil and Commercial Chamber, and Criminal Division judge selection and term of office: justices proposed by the Council of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura, a 6-member independent body, and appointed by the Chamber of Senators with presidential concurrence; judges appointed until mandatory retirement at age 75 subordinate courts: appellate courts; first instance courts; minor courts, including justices of the peace |
| Political parties and leaders | Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR (Pedro ALLIANA) Avanza Pais coalition (Adolfo FERREIRO) Broad Front coalition (Frente Guasu) or FG (Fernando Armindo LUGO Mendez) Movimiento Union Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos or UNACE (Jorge OVIEDO MATTO) Partido del Movimiento al Socialismo or P-MAS (Camilo Ernesto SOARES Machado) Partido Democratica Progresista or PDP (Desiree MASI) Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN (Fernando CAMACHO Paredes) Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or PLRA (Miguel ABDON SAGUIER) Partido Pais Solidario or PPS (Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares) Partido Popular Tekojoja (Sixto PEREIRA) Patria Querida (Beloved Fatherland Party) or PPQ (Sebastian ACHA) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Ahorristas Estafados or AE National Coordinating Board of Campesino Organizations or MCNOC (Luis AGUAYO) National Federation of Campesinos or FNC (Odilon ESPINOLA) National Workers Central or CNT (Secretary General Juan TORRALES) Paraguayan Workers Confederation or CPT Roman Catholic Church Unitary Workers Central or CUT (Jorge Guzman ALVARENGA Malgarejo) |
| International organization participation | CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador German Hugo ROJAS Irigoyen (since 28 December 2016) chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (1) (202) 483-6960 through 6962 FAX: (1) (202) 234-4508 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Leslie A. BASSETT (since 15 January 2015) embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402, Asuncion mailing address: Unit 4711, DPO AA 34036-0001 telephone: (595) (21) 213-715 FAX: (595) (21) 213-728 |
| Flag description | three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears a circular seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words PAZ Y JUSTICIA (Peace and Justice)); red symbolizes bravery and patriotism, white represents integrity and peace, and blue denotes liberty and generosity note: the three color bands resemble those on the flag of the Netherlands; one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Moldova and Saudi Arabia |
| National symbol(s) | lion; national colors: red, white, blue |
| National anthem | name: "Paraguayos, Republica o muerte!" (Paraguayans, The Republic or Death!) lyrics/music: Francisco Esteban ACUNA de Figueroa/disputed note: adopted 1934, in use since 1846; officially adopted following its re-arrangement in 1934 |