Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist August 2018 | Page 35

SPOTLIGHT
Venezuela
Incumbent President Nicolas Maduro won the May 2018
elections for his second six-year term. The elections have
been widely condemned by the international community
for its lack of transparency and allegations of fraud. The
opposition had called for a boycott of the elections; and the
low voter turnout was also refl ective of the disillusionment
with the government.
Paraguay
Suppression and dictatorship were also the themes of
the elections in Paraguay that took place in April 2018. The
landlocked nation has elected its president, vice president,
45 senators, 80 deputies, and 17 governors, all to fi ve-year
terms. President Mario Abdo Benítez, from a conservative
wing of the ruling Colorado party, won the election. He is
the son of the private secretary to Paraguay’s former dictator
Alfredo Stroessner and has faced criticism for defending the
former leader's record.
Paraguay President Mario Abdo Benítez
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been elected for his second
six-year term.
President Maduro’s government has also been facing
growing international criticism for economic collapse; high
infl ation and widespread hunger; rampant crime; a failing
health system and large-scale exodus of its citizens. The
government, on the other hand, has blamed the international
community and the United States for the crisis.
President Benitez has
pledged to cut poverty and
fi ght corruption.
President Benitez has pledged to cut poverty and fi ght
corruption. He has stated that he would strengthen the justice
system ensuring that it remained independent and strong.
Major changes to economic policy were not expected, though
the new President has stated he would pursue more aggressive
tax policies to increase the government coffers.
Conclusion
Brazil, the largest country in the region, is going to polls
later in the year. The elections cycle in the area is important
to assess the strength of democracy in a region prone to mil-
itary rule. It will represent the support that government and
government institutions have and also showcase the smooth
transition between governments. The elections will also be
an indicator of the political trends within the region and may
provide some clues for the elections to be held next year.
* Dr. Stuti Banerjee is a research scholar with Indian
Council of World Affairs (ICWA), a leading think tank in
Delhi. Views Expressed are personal.
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 8 • August 2018, Noida • 35