Mario Abdo Benitez wins Paraguay presidency

Bloomberg

Mario Abdo Benitez, a former senator from the ruling Colorado Party, won Sunday’s presidential election in Paraguay, in a surprisingly narrow victory over the opposition candidate.
Abdo Benitez, 46, whose father was the secretary of long-ruling dictator Alfredo Stroessner, had 46.4 percent of the vote, with almost 100 percent of voting stations counted, according to preliminary results from the electoral court. Former public works minister Efrain Alegre trailed with 42.7 percent of votes. Alegre thanked his supporters, saying he respected the initial results, but would wait for final certification. The winner will take office on August 15 when the incumbent president Horacio Cartes steps down.
Speaking to a crowd in Asuncion, Abdo Benitez said he would work to win over those Paraguayans who voted for other candidates. “I invite them to be part of this story we are going to build together the coming years in Paraguay,” he said. “Today, I pledge to be a factor of unity in Paraguay.“ The new president will inherit one of the fastest growing economies in South America, but one that still suffers high levels of poverty and inequality. He has pledged to keep taxes low, but do a better job of collecting them to find higher spending on education and healthcare. The former senator has promised to renegotiate the terms under which Paraguay sells power from the hydroelectric dams it shares with Brazil and Argentina.
The narrow victory means Abdo Benitez will probably have to incorporate some of his opponent’s proposals, such as a progressive income tax and greater social spending, in his agenda, said Juan Manuel Pazos, a strategist at the Buenos Aires’s brokerage Puente.