Form Before Function: Democratization in Paraguay

Abstract

While there has been substantial progress in democratizing Paraguay, the country's daily reality remains marred by the still-strong remnants of the “iron triangle” that characterized relations between the Colorado Party, the state and the armed forces. By concentrating on the Wasmosy presidency's failure to implement truly effective institutional reform, this paper advances the proposition that the overthrow of a dictator and the staging of open elections is not sufficient for the creation of a consolidated democracy. As the Paraguayan case demonstrates, the preservation of the corrupt institutional norms found in some authoritarian regimes remains critical to the interests of societal elites, thus hurting the public interest and hindering the democratization process.