By María Sanz, from Asunción. Next Sunday, April 22, Paraguay will elect a president and vice president for the 2018-2023 term. On the same day, voters will also elect representatives to the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies for the next legislature, governors and members of the departmental councils of the country's 17 departments and the capital district (Asunción), and Mercosur parliamentarians. Demands from LGBTQ+ groups, such as marriage equality, have entered the public debate for the main candidates, following the controversy sparked in recent months by ultraconservative movements against so-called "gender ideology." Thus, most parties that express a position on same-sex marriage do so to demonstrate their opposition. Other demands, such as a law against all forms of discrimination or a gender identity law, are absent from the mainstream media discussion and appear only in the platform of a minor party. We reviewed the parties' proposals and the candidates' statements during the campaign to find out what they propose regarding LGBTI people.

The heavyweights (National Republican Association and Authentic Radical Liberal Party)

Paraguayan politics is characterized by a two-party system and the alternation of power between its two traditional parties: the National Republican Association (known as the Colorado Party) and the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA). Both are conservative in orientation, and their presidential candidates oppose same-sex marriage. National Republican Association (ANR), known as the Colorado Party –Background: The Colorado Party is one of Paraguay's two traditional political parties, founded in 1887. It was the ruling party during the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989). After the dictatorship ended, Colorado Party governments held power until 2008, when Fernando Lugo came to power through an alliance between the Liberal Party and the left-wing coalition Frente Guasú. Lugo was impeached in 2012 in a controversial political trial, and a year later, Colorado Party candidate Horacio Cartes won the elections and assumed the presidency for the 2013-2018 term.  

–Candidate: Their candidate for President of the Republic between 2018 and 2023 is Mario Abdo BenítezKnown as Marito to distinguish him from his father, who had the same name and was the private secretary of dictator Stroessner, Mario Abdo Benítez Jr. was a senator and elected president of the Paraguayan Congress between 2015 and 2016. He is part of the “Colorado Añetete” movement (“Authentic Colorado” in Guaraní), considered the most traditionalist wing within the conservative Colorado Party.

-Position on LGBTI rights:

-Same-sex marriage: At the beginning of March, when he submitted his resignation as senator to dedicate himself to his election campaign, Mario Abdo declared“I am absolutely in defense of the family; we will veto any bill that tries to destroy the core of our society, which is the family.” He also opined that Same-sex marriage “goes against nature,” and “there is no need to legislate on that.” He added that “there are progressive interpretations that don't even want to debate a constitutional reform on that topic today, because marriage is part of heterosexual culture.” Back in May 2017, when he was a presidential pre-candidate in his party's internal elections, Abdo stated“Without discriminating, I don’t believe the Colorado Party should advocate for a constitutional reform to allow (same-sex) marriage. I believe in biblical principles, Genesis, and I believe in the family.” Abdo thus distanced himself from his opponent in the Colorado Party primaries, former Finance Minister Santiago Peña, who had stated that I would have no problem approving same-sex marriagebecause he believed in "the freedom of individuals". Law against all forms of discrimination: On November 5, 2015, Mario Abdo Benítez, along with four other senators (including the former evangelical pastor Arnoldo Wiens), presented a bill “which establishes mechanisms to guarantee equal rights for all inhabitants of the Republic.” The bill refers to non-discrimination against people of color, people with disabilities, women (in general), children, and indigenous peoples. But It makes no mention of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. That is its main difference compared to others bill against all forms of discrimination Presented by Senator Carlos Filizzola of the Frente Guasú party, the bill was rejected by the Senate in 2014. This text was developed in consultation with more than twenty civil society organizations, including Aireana (a lesbian rights group), Paragay, and the Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Action Group. It explicitly prohibits discrimination against “people with a sexual orientation different from the heterosexual norm.” Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA) –Background: He PLRA It is one of Paraguay's two traditional political parties, founded in 1887 and re-established clandestinely in 1978 during the Stroessner dictatorship. The last Liberal government in Paraguay occurred after the impeachment of Fernando Lugo. His vice president, the Liberal Federico Franco, assumed the presidency and completed the presidential term in 2013. In the early morning hours of March 31 to April 1, 2017, during the protests against the presidential reelection amendment which culminated in the burning of the Paraguayan Congress, the police raided the headquarters of the Liberal Party in Asunción. During the operation, liberal activist Rodrigo Quintana died, a victim of an alleged extrajudicial execution that has not yet been clarified.The party president, Efraín Alegre, was injured during the riots in front of Congress. -Candidate: The PLRA's presidential candidate for the 2018-2023 term is Efraín Alegre, running through the Great National Renewal Alliance (Ganar Alliance), which includes members of the left-wing coalition Frente Guasú, such as vice-presidential candidate Leo Rubín, and other smaller parties (Febrerist Revolutionary Party, Progressive Democratic Party, National Encounter Party, National Concertation Let's Move Forward Country, Movement Towards Socialism Party, and Green Ecologist Party). Alegre served as Minister of Public Works and Communications from 2008 to 2011, was a presidential candidate in 2013, president of the Liberal Party, and a senator for that party.

-Position on LGBTI rights:

On April 8, during an interview on the television network Telefuturo, Alegre asserted: “I believe that marriage can only be between a man and a woman.” The candidate himself published his answer to this question on his Twitter account. In December 2017, he had already stated that he only believed in heterosexual marriage, but at that time he expressed his commitment to “not ignoring reality” and to “creating a solution to find a legal framework that protects the marriage of same-sex couples.” In this regard, he referred to the possibility of establishing alternatives to marriage to protect the economic rights of same-sex couples in cohabiting relationships. “It is possible to protect, with legal mechanisms other than marriage, the ability to defend economic and inheritance rights. It is unacceptable that we have this reality of cohabitation where, in order to resolve their property issues, for example, they have to form a corporation. I don't think that's right. We must recognize that it is a reality. It's not marriage, but it is a reality that requires attention through legislation that addresses the problems of that cohabitation.” express.

Minority parties caught between ignorance, religious fundamentalism, and hate speech

LET'S MAKE A GAME -Background: The match Let's do it It was created in 2017 within the framework of the presentation of candidacies for the 2018 general elections. It defines itself as a centrist partywith a “moderate ideology, which rescues the good from both extremes to work in harmony”. -Candidates: The party is presenting Tony Apuril, a councilman from Asunción and the party's founder, as its candidate for senator representing the Central department, and Tito Ibarrola as its candidate for deputy for the same department. Both are comedians, known as members of the comedy group Ab Ovo.  

-Position on LGBTI rights:

In a video Released on March 14 through Hagamos' social media profile, Apuril and Ibarrola responded to controversial messages they claimed to have received through those social networks. One of the users asked if they were in favor of "gender ideology," and the comedians responded with a resounding no. "As pio “If you, a man, are going to go and ask to play on a women’s national soccer team? And you tell them that, because you feel like a woman, you want them to let you play?” Apuril asked. Later in the video, another user asked if they were in favor of same-sex marriage. And Apuril replied, emphatically: “Against. How many times have they tried to link me to this…” DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST PARTY HEIRS -Background: The Herederos party was founded in 2011 and It defines itself as “socialist and democratic”. -Candidates: The party nominates as its candidate for President of the Republic the Evangelical pastor Germán OrtegaHis campaign slogan is “God, Fatherland and Family,” a slogan associated with Benito Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship in Italy. -Position on LGBTI rights: Consistent with the position of the evangelical church in Paraguay, Ortega He is opposed to same-sex marriage and the so-called "gender ideology".His proposal to clean up Paraguayan politics is to introduce religious representatives into it.   NATIONAL MOVEMENT OF ARTISTS OF PARAGUAY (MNAPY) -Background: The MNAPY was born in 2017 through the union of a group of musician artists fighting against corruption in the entity that manages their copyrights, according to their website. -Candidates: The MNAPY nominates as its candidate for President of the Republic Jaro AnzoáteguiShe worked in the IT department of the Itaipu binational hydroelectric plant, which Paraguay shares with Brazil. Her candidate for deputy representing the department of Alto Paraná (east) is Dannia Ríos, representative to the departmental council for Children and Adolescents.     -Stance on LGBTI rights: The party incorporates the logo of the ultraconservative organizations “For Life and Family”This slogan, used internationally in campaigns against abortion and same-sex marriage, declares itself in favor of the family as the foundation of society. One of its proposals is the creation of a Ministry of the Family, for the "unified care of its members and the defense of life and the family." Candidate Dannia Ríos She defines herself as a pro-life and pro-family activist, and is a co-founder of the Movement for Life and Family in Paraguay. A group of ultraconservative organizations. Among its proposals, it supports three bills: one that creates the Ministry of the Family, another that prohibits “any activity, promotion or propaganda that threatens the development or proper formation of the personality of the child and adolescent,” and a third concerning “responsible parenthood.” In statements to the Vanguardia newspaper of Alto Paraná,He signed a statement that he intends to "sanction those responsible for promoting homosexuality in order to defend the traditional family." He also referred to the prohibition of the “promotion of homosexuality” which exists in countries like Russia. At the beginning of the year, Ríos also led a Controversy over the sale of dolls with male genitalia in a business in Ciudad del Este (in the Triple Frontier with Argentina and Brazil), whom he accused of “promoting transsexualism from a young age.” For his part, Jaro Anzoátegui he stated on the party's Twitter account"The family is the cellular heart of society. Without the family, society does not exist." And the family must be natural, not some other kind of family, because then society doesn't grow, it stagnates and dies.”

Kuña Pyrenda: the only party openly in favor of LGTBI rights

KUÑA PYRENDA PARTY (KP) -Background: The Kuña Pyrenda movement (“women’s platform” in Guarani) was founded in 2011, during the administration of Fernando Lugo, to promote equal opportunities for women. In the 2013 elections, the movement nominated Lilian Soto and Magui Balbuena as candidates for president and vice president, marking the first time in Paraguayan history that a presidential ticket was composed entirely of women. In 2014, the movement was officially registered as a political party. Kuña Pyrenda, and is recognized as the first feminist, environmentalist and socialist party in Paraguay. –Candidates: For the 2018 elections, Kuña Pyrenda is running a Senate candidacy headed by Lilian Soto, a doctor by training, feminist researcher, and executive secretary of the Civil Service between 2008 and 2012. In addition, the party's list includes LGBTI rights activists, such as Carolina Robledo, from Aireana - Group for Lesbian Rights, and Yren Rotela, who is listed as an alternate and thus becomes the first trans person in Paraguay to hold a political candidacy. -Position on LGBTI rights: He KP's program of proposals for the 2018 elections It includes the defense of a civil union law for same-sex couples, a gender identity law, and a law recognizing diverse families. It also proposes the approval of a law against all forms of discrimination. It is the only party that openly supports marriage equality and includes a gender identity law in its proposals.