PEOPLE AND POLITICS

For a fun video introduction to Paraguayan geography, culture, and history, click here. Paraguayans today bear a mixture of Guarani and Spanish blood and heritage. Although Paraguay saw its share of atrocities perpetrated by Spanish settlers, especially against early Guarani Christians, most of Paraguayan history tells of a peaceful integration between the two peoples. The native Paraguayan population gradually absorbed the Spanish settlers, who in turn adopted Guarani food, language, and customs, so that today the majority of the Paraguayan population can speak some variant of Guarani, their native language, with pride--which isn't the case in most Latin American countries overtaken by the Spaniards. Colonization meant that Jesuit missionaries were sent to evangelize the native population, who sometimes gained a classical education along the way, and often used the Jesuits for protection from more invasive, pro-slavery elements of Spanish society. After the expulsion of the missionaries in 1767, the settlements quietly withered as the indigenous people left or were employed by different masters. Over time, a Spanish-Guarani society emerged, with the Spaniards dominating politically and the mestizo offspring adopting many Spanish cultural values.

In 1811, Paraguay quietly declared independence--which Spain did not oppose. In 1864 the catastrophic War of the Triple Alliance against Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil began. In 1870 the war ended with Paraguay losing over 150,000 sq km (58,500 sq mi) of territory and almost a quarter of its population--leaving the nation with a male to female ration of one to ten and a demographic scar that continues to haunt Paraguayan family structure and encourage "dime-a-dozen" abuse of women today. At the turn of the century, cross-border tensions arose after Bolivia occupied disputed parts of the Chaco, the large dry plains that make up nearly 60% of Paraguay's area. The prospect of vast deposits of oil in the region (which proved non-existent) catapulted the two countries into war in 1932. Afterward a treaty awarded Paraguay three-quarters of the territory.

A military coup in 1954 saw General Alfredo Stroessner installed as president. Stroessner was overthrown in 1989 and replaced by another brasshat, General Andres Rodriguez. Despite considerable skepticism about his intentions--Rodriguez was Stroessner's former right-hand man--the country's perennial state of emergency was cancelled, censorship was eliminated, opposition parties were legalized, and political prisoners released.  Since Stroessner's demise, Paraguay has been managed by a parliamentary democracy, with universal suffrage and freedom of speech. Unfortunately most of the recent administrations, fraught with corruption, have abused Paraguayan resources and limited Paraguayan dreams.  Despite its political problems, Paraguay continues to provide a haven for a wildly diverse mix of peoples, including a significant population of Korean-Paraguayans descended from immigrants fleeing Japanese occupation pre-World War II; an ethnically-isolated German population of Mennonites who escaped religious persecution decades ago; and even modern Al Qaeda operatives and former Nazis. Many unreached people groups inhabit Paraguay's untouched jungles, struggling to maintain autonomy despite land disputes with encroaching settlers. This diversity makes Paraguay an excellent place to reach out to all kinds of different people.  The country remains ripe for political improvement and change.