Caazapá Department Remains Cartista Territory After Municipal Primaries

The Caazapá department in Paraguay has shown a strong allegiance to the ruling Colorado party (cartismo) following the recent internal elections. In all eleven districts of the department, candidates affiliated with cartismo emerged victorious, securing their party's representation for the upcoming municipal elections on October 4.

A notable outcome was the defeat of Derlis Molinas, the incumbent mayor of San Juan Nepomuceno, who sought re-election. Molinas, representing the ANR-HC faction, was significantly outvoted by Amílcar Miño, another cartista candidate, who secured 48% of the votes compared to Molinas' 28%. Molinas' tenure has been marked by multiple corruption allegations, and his financial reports were not approved by the Municipal Council in his final terms.

Other districts also saw clear victories for cartista candidates. In Buena Vista, César Talavera (HC) won with 63% of the vote against Luis González (Añetete). Amado Díaz Verón (HC) secured 55.33% in Caazapá, while Guido Aguiar (HC) won in Tavaí with 45.69%. The district of Yuty experienced a close contest between two cartista candidates, with Ever Brítez narrowly defeating Emilio Olaizola. In Abaí, Sandra Morel (HC) achieved a decisive victory with 72% of the votes.

The Colorado Añetete movement, led by Mario Abdo Benítez, suffered a significant blow across the department, with all its candidates losing to the cartista faction. This result underscores the dominant influence of cartismo within the Colorado Party in Caazapá, setting the stage for the general municipal elections.