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Liberal Party

The Authentic Liberal Radical Party [Partido Liberal Radical Autentico], founded in 1887, is Paraguay's oldest and second largest political party after the Colorados. It dominated the political system from 1904 to 1940, during which time 21 different Liberal governments ruled the country. However, the party has not governed Paraguay since 1940. Between 1947 and 1962, the Colorado Party was the only legal party. With the consolidation of Stroessner's power and the prodding of the administration of United States president John F. Kennedy, however, in 1962 the general granted legal standing to a Liberal splinter group, the Renovation Movement (Movimiento Renovacion).

The Renovationists participated in the 1963 elections; as the president's loyal opposition, they began to enjoy some of the privileges formerly reserved only for the Colorados. In 1967, after two decades in exile, the PLR accepted Stroessner's offer of legal participation and returned to participate in elections. In 1976 the two Liberal factions unsuccessfully sought to form a single party; the Renovation Movement then changed its name to the Liberal Party.

The other legal party, the PRF, was organized following Colonel Rafael Franco's overthrow of the Liberal Party in 1936. The PRF, more commonly known as the Febreristas, received legal recognition in 1965. The Febreristas affiliated with the Socialist International in 1965 and claimed to have 50,000 active members in 1986.

In the early 1970s, the Febreristas and the bulk of the PLR withdrew from elections following their refusal to endorse the constitutional amendment allowing Stroessner to stand for unlimited reelection. The breakaway faction of the PLR lost its legal status and renamed itself the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Radical Autentico—PLRA). Thus, the PLR and the remaining wing of the PL were the only challenges to the Colorado Party in the elections of 1973, 1978, 1983, and 1988. The PLR and PL thereby were entitled to occupy one-third of the seats in the National Congress, although their combined average vote in the elections was only 10 percent. Neither had the organization, finances, or human resources to oppose the Colorados effectively.

By the late 1980s the PLRA had two major currents; Laino headed the Liberation for Social Change (Liberation para Cambio Social), whereas Miguel Abdon Saguier led the Popular Movement for Change (Movimiento Popular para el Cambio). Despite the efforts of PDC founder Luis Alfonso Resck, a bitter leadership struggle erupted within that party in late 1988. Finally, the PRF found itself in the middle of an acrimonious battle between the Socialist International and the Latin American Socialist Coordinating Body.

While some of its leaders espouse traditional "liberal" values, including respect for the rights of individuals, open societies and free markets, and, as such, look generally favorably on good relations with the U.S., as a party it is not governed by a coherent ideology. Rather, like the Colorado Party, it has members who advocate policies that span the entire ideological spectrum.

Over the years, it has established a party structure that extends across the entire country, with affiliation largely based on familial ties. Persons born into Liberal families generally remain Liberals throughout their lives, even if they come to espouse policies that might associate them more closely with another political party. Although the party has an extensive presence nationwide, it is strongest in the cities and among more educated and wealthier segments of the population.

While the Liberal Party barely polled second to the Colorados in the 2003 elections, it is presently not considered a serious threat to Colorado Party dominance. Its current leader is Blas Llano, a member of the Chamber of Deputies who was elected PLRA president in July 2005. Llano had not proven effective in uniting the party's disparate factions, much less in establishing a platform to challenge the Colorados. In recognition of this fact, Llano sought to form an alliance with other opposition parties in preparation for the 2008 national elections.

Though the Liberals had 12 seats in the Senate (out of a total of 45) and 21 in the Chamber of Deputies (out of a total of 80), these congressmen were divided among three factions. In June 2005, three Senators from the two smaller factions allied themselves with the governing Colorado Party on a number of controversial decisions, mostly pertaining to key political appointments. While the dissidents' defection provoked a strong rebuke from the PLRA leadership, many viewed it only as a more blatant manifestation of the party's readiness to compromise with the Colorados in exchange for favors, jobs and money.

The Liberals can boast no strong leader with broad national support. Few believe that the PLRA is prepared to undertake the kind of structural reforms required to attack Paraguay's system of political spoils, having grown all too comfortable enjoying the benefits of the current system founded on deals with the Colorados.