Opposition candidate for presidency may establish ties with China | Elections in Paraguay and World Geopolitics

From Asuncion

Global geopolitics being played out in the big leagues of the world, with America and China as protagonists Paraguayan A contested territory. With additional ingredients. It is the only country in South America where Beijing maintains diplomatic relations with its home island of Taiwan. The merger was born on June 12, 1957, during the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner. And it was strengthened by the staunch anti-communism shared by Chiang Kai-shek and the Generalissimo, who died in Brazil in 2006.

Mario Abdo Benitez’s government and the Colorado Party are still celebrating that deal. The current president visited the capital Taipei in February this year and described his ally as a “beacon of democracy”.. A position asserted by the United States, whose presence on the land since 1942 has been very firm. It is within this framework that Sunday’s elections take place, and Concertationian candidate Efrain Alegre has confirmed that he will review it. Trade agreements that have been ongoing for nearly 66 years are exclusive to South America.

Weight of Paraguay in the world

The People’s Republic of China maintains eleven embassies on the mainland, including Guyana and Suriname. Only Paraguay was excluded from the Xi Jinping government’s expanding list of partners as his country’s economic power grew. Given the asymmetry that sets Taiwan apart from its colossal neighbors, it’s hard to understand what’s going on here with Taiwan. In this capital, not only one avenue is named after Chiang Kai-shek. A statue of him was erected during Stroessner’s reign.

In economic terms, Paraguay could certainly gain more economic revenue if it established diplomatic relations with China–as Alegre thought–but today it exports significant amounts of both soybeans and beef to Taiwan. In this last item, Taiwan ranks fourth overseas. In 2021, the sum of all products rose by 30.7 percent. But if Beijing can win this fight, the plethora of exports that will carry zero tariffs from January 15, 2022 – may pale in comparison.

A Stroessner alliance

The relationship that the following leaders of the Colorado Party received from Stroessner was so solid that in April 2020, during Benítez’s tenure, the Paraguayan Senate rejected an opposition proposal seeking to establish diplomatic relations with China in exchange for aid in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. . LBeijing’s presence in the deals with Paraguay has become an ominous ghost for tiny Taiwan. Because the number of countries in the world that recognize it is constantly decreasing. Today they are only thirteen years old and their other friendly country in Latin America is Guatemala. The rest are small Caribbean states and, curiously, the Vatican. In this checkerboard where the pieces are arranged according to geostrategic reasons, the US benefits greatly. Its ally Taiwan acts as a buffer to China’s ambitions in Paraguay. At least for now. Major military power had influenced the South American country in a decisive way since the 19th century and it was emphasized with the Chaco War against Bolivia (1932–1935) and later during Stroessner’s extensive period in power.