Introduction

Background

Before the Spanish arrived in the early 16th century, the region that is now known as Paraguay was primarily occupied by various Indigenous groups, mainly of the Guarani language family. This territory was subsequently integrated into the Viceroyalty of Peru. Paraguay declared its independence from Spanish rule in 1811, with assistance from neighboring countries. Following independence, the nation was governed by a succession of military dictators until 1870. The catastrophic War of the Triple Alliance, which lasted from 1864 to 1870 and pitted Paraguay against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, resulted in the loss of two-thirds of the male population and a significant portion of its territory. For the subsequent fifty years, the country experienced economic stagnation and a turbulent succession of political regimes. After the Chaco War from 1932 to 1935 with Bolivia, Paraguay acquired a substantial portion of the Chaco lowlands. The lengthy military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER, which lasted for 35 years, came to an end in 1989, and since then, Paraguay has conducted relatively free and regular presidential elections, marking its return to democratic governance.