Forgotten World (87): Paraguay
Paraguay is a landlocked South American country of only just over 6M people.
Politically, it is highly troubled. It experienced more than three decades of dictatorship under Alfredo Stroessner, who was ousted in 1989. The end of his iron-fisted rule did not bring political stability. Factional splits led to the assassination of a vice-president, the resignation of a president and an attempted coup. Stroessner’s party, the National Republican Association-Colorado Party, is still in power.
Economically, it is equally challenged. With few mineral resources, the country’s economy revolves around agriculture. The 1990s saw slow, steady growth, but more latterly the economy has been in serious trouble. Around 60% of Paraguayans live in poverty. Corruption is widespread and the country is a centre for smuggling, money laundering and organised crime.