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Horacio Cartes

President Horacio Cartes, who came to power in the wake of the parliamentary coup against former left-wing President Fernando Lugo, has pushed aggressively neoliberal policies, including in the agricultural sector, and has sparked outrage among the country's campesinos, who held repeated national marches calling for more favorable rural policies as well as the president's resignation.

Born in Asuncion on July 5, 1956. He studied at the Goethe, International and Cristo Rey schools. He then traveled to the US to pursue his studies under the guidance of his father, Don Ramon Telmo Cartes Lind, Cessna representative for Paraguay. He made a technical career in Tulsa Oklahoma Powerplant - Spartan School of Aero (aircraft engines) with an internship in the Cessna. - Wichita, Kansas in 1975, only 19 years old, started commercial activities and from 1994 ventures in business ventures with their participation in the sector of the tobacco industry.

A few years later he established other companies that, today, are market leaders, including Bebidas del Paraguay SA manufacturer of Pulp, Puro Sol and Watts products stand out. In Bertoni (department Caazapá), he formed the company Agrocitrus of Paraguay SA, in charge of project development of citrus growing, employing labor in the area, also helping the development of it. Their companies have always led the local market with a deep sense of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He moved to livestock sector its business activities also focused on investments in the livestock sector with extensive development and management in terms of genetics, breeding and fattening in their establishments.

The companies of the Cartes Group companies employ more than 3,000 people and operate in various economic sectors, such as livestock, tobacco, beverages, transportation, commerce and banking, among others. His business philosophy is run by professional teams of high quality, if skimping on investment, innovation and constant training of its employees. The Great Place to Work® Institute Paraguay, distinguished in 2010, one of his signatures, Drinks of Paraguay SA (Pulp) as one of the five best companies to work for in the country. In 2012, Great Place to Work Paraguay stood with 4 companies Cartes Group - Tabacos del Paraguay, Pulp, La Mision Ravenna and Livestock Sofia - among the 9 firms with the best conditions to work in Paraguay.

Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara took over the Club Libertad in 2001. From its management, this sports institution begins a period of innovation and growth, which positions the club among the largest in the country and America, for his international career. Its objectives always aimed at obtaining national titles and the empowerment of the lower divisions, as well as the struggle for a continental trophy and the building of one of the most modern stadiums in America. All this with an eye to emphasize respect for the human being and job performance with the highest possible quality.

During his tenure effort was spent on campus and infrastructure in the formation of the "boys" club playing in the lower divisions and they have a residence. Among the sporting achievements of the "era Cartes" in the Freedom club may be mentioned 7 absolute championships of the Paraguayan Football Association (APF), including a historical tetracampeonato in history the gumarelo club (2006, 2007, 2008 , opening and closing); at the continental level, he earned the respect of his peers due to good performances in Copa Libertadores, arriving in 2006 to the semifinal instance, and in 2007 the quarter-finals; He won one of the top honors, with the number 15 location of Freedom among all clubs in the world in 2006 and 2007.

He also played lead roles in the Paraguayan Football Association (APF), its main activity Address selections, a role that allowed him to work closely with the senior team Football team reached a place of honor never before achieved in the last World Cup South Africa 2010 quarterfinal.

His foray into politics began on September 23, 2009 when, anxious about the political course of the country he joined the Colorado Party. From that moment, he engages forcefully, in partisan political activities. With great faith and in silence, as an affiliate more, comes every day to colorado village on the plain and encourages them to follow up and fight to regain power in 2013. He emerged as the main allies of the Colorado's governors and some leaders of the NRA. Cartes began to take center stage. He strongly endorsed aspiring municipal mayors without distinction, an attitude that catapults him as an emerging leader within the National Republican Association (ANR) or Colorado Party. His preaching of unity and "hope" began to gain strength and the Colorados trusted again in the recovery of power in 2013. Thus the November 7, 2010, in the municipal elections, his name sounded like one of the stars of the race for all the support the Colorado Party when he needed it most. On that occasion, the Colorados won in 132 of the 238 municipalities in Paraguay, the most emblematic Asuncion, Ciudad del Este and Encarnación.

This colorado victory meant the revival of the NRA after falling in April 2008. The press agreed at that time the big winner of the municipal elections was actually Horacio Cartes.

In November 2010, along with other party leaders, he founded the Colorado Movement Cartes Honor, that would be great prominence to the new challenges. In December 2010, the Governing Board of the NRA approved the holding of an Extraordinary Convention on 15 January 2011. At that time, the Colorado Honor Movement won approval of the amendment to Colorado Statute to allow members with at least one year membership, access to elected office representing the Colorado Party. 537 votes, two thirds of the total amount of conventional, a figure that was exceeded were needed. The proposed Honor Colorado won 569 votes against 218 for the opposition at that time.

In the next election bid, March 13, 2011, in internal elections for the renewal of authorities of the Colorado Party, Honor Movement Colorado defeated Front the victory. Thus, Lilian Samaniego, representative of Honor Colorado, won with 51% of the vote Luis Castiglioni, who won 39%. She became the first woman to access the highest partisan office since the Colorado Party was founded. In October 2011, the Colorado Progressivism that led former President Nicanor Duarte Frutos is clear from the Front for Victory and allies to Honor Movement Colorado ahead of elections in 2013.

Earlier, deputies from other parties, such as Oscar Tuma, Victor Yambay and Artemio Barrios, broke away from the party and decided to move to Unace led by Horacio Cartes sector. Meanwhile, other regional and departmental movements, which were in other domestic sectors of the NRA, joined the political project of Honor Colorado. The additions continued, becoming at that time the Movement Honor Colorado in the largest internal current of the NRA.

Registration of the duo and projection Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara and Juan Eudes Afara Maciel were officially registered as candidates for President and Vice President, respectively on October 19, 2012, before the Partisan Electoral Tribunal (PET), to participate in the internal elections held on 9 December 2012. In the internal elections, the Cartes-Afara duo overcame formed by Javier Zacharias Irun and Nicolas Aguayo, by more than 200,000 votes difference, thus becoming the official candidates for President and Vice President, Schedule 1 of the Colorado Party for the general elections of April 21, 2013.

Detractors of the millionaire Colorado Party candidate saw a man mixed up in a host of illicit activities, including drug trafficking. A man who represented big business and corruption. He owns some 25 companies, spanning the drinks industry, meat production and tobacco, employing thousands.

The most serious smear against the 56-year-old involves drug trafficking and contraband cigarettes. In 2011, WikiLeaks cables originating from the US embassy in Buenos Aires placed him at the centre of a drugs and money-laundering network operating out of the lawless frontier with Argentina and Brazil. Mr Cartes has publicly denied the allegations and says he has received assurances from the embassy that the US Drugs Enforcement Agency and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are conducting no investigations against him.

As a candidate for President of the Republic of the Colorado Party in the elections of April 21, 2013, Horacio Cartes defeated the main opponent Efrain Alegre, who formed duo with former interior minister of the government of Fernando Lugo, Rafael Filizzola. Cartes was declared elected President of the Republic of Paraguay on May 10, 2013. According to the official report submitted by the TSJE, Cartes officially won with 1,104,169 votes, representing 45.8% of the 2,391,790 votes cast. The candidate Efrain Alegre, Alianza Paraguay Alegre, won 889,451 votes.

The latest general elections in the country were considered among the most transparent and participatory in the history of Paraguay. In a solemn ceremony held on August 15 in the capital country, Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara and Juan Eudes Afara Maciel, were sworn in as President and Vice President of the Republic of Paraguay, respectively, for the governing period of 5 years as established by the Constitution. President Horacio Cartes replaced in office Federico Franco, of the the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA).

Outgoing president Horacio Cartes, who tried but failed to change the constitution to allow him to seek a second term. Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes presented his resignation 28 May 2018 to take office as senator on July 1, although it was not clear if congress would have enough votes to accept the resignation. "I submit my resignation to the post of President of the Republic of Paraguay," the president said on his Twitter account. "To continue serving the country from the Senate of the Nation, fulfilling the popular will deposited at the polls."

Cartes was elected senator by the conservative Colorado Party in the general elections on April 22. If the congress accepts the resignation, former Justice of the Supreme Court Alicia Pucheta, designated a few days ago as vice president, will become the first woman president in the history of the country for a short period until the recently elected President Mario Abdo Benitez is sworn in on Aug.15.