Letter to Editor: Santiago Pena selected to lead Paraguay in free elections

讀者投書：聖地亞哥·佩納在巴拉圭民主選舉中勝選

The elections on April 30 ratified the partnership for cooperation and development that unites Paraguay and Taiwan in the present


On Sunday, April 30, the presidential and legislative elections were held throughout the Paraguayan territory. In total, 45 senators and 80 deputies and 17 governors were elected. The elections proceeded peacefully and orderly, in accordance with the Rule of Law and the democracy that governs the country.

With more than 42% of the suffrages issued in that election, Mr. Santiago Pena was elected as the new President of the Republic. He himself is an economist by profession and previously served as President of the Central Bank and Minister of Finance.

The newly-elected President of the Republic previously told the media that “…There are historical considerations, a bond of friendship of more than 60 years, and Taiwan has been a great ally. Taiwan has supported Paraguay in the formation of the human capital, in social programs with a tremendous impact." He also emphasized to other media that the relationship with the Republic of China (Taiwan) would be a priority during his administration.

"We are united by a tie of democratic principles and values. Paraguay is shifting the race for development from an eminently agricultural economy to a more advanced and value-added economy, to industrialization. Trade with Taiwan can lead us to develop a much more powerful industrial base, and that will allow Paraguay to have more muscle….”

We must remember that trade between the two countries has grown by more than 504% in the last 5 years. Taiwan is now the second largest market for Paraguayan beef and pork. Also, today more than 530 young Paraguayans are studying in this sister Asian nation, either through MOFA scholarships or at the Polytechnic University Taiwan-Paraguay (UPTP).

The elections on April 30 ratified the partnership for cooperation and development that unites Paraguay and the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the present, which constitutes a bond of brotherhood that unites these two countries, geographically distant but united by the desire for well-being and progress of their peoples.