Peña wins 42.7% of the vote, well ahead of Alegre, who won about 27%.

General election. Main candidates are centrist opposition leader Efrain Alegre of the Concertacion coalition and current President Santiago Peña of the Colorado Party. Alegre has suggested he might switch diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan. A new president will have to negotiate terms about the Itaipú hydroelectric dam with Brazil. Though Brazil gets more power from it because it invested more money, Paraguay would more energy to sell on the open market.

A massive cloud of ash blown from wildfires in Argentina engulfs capital Asunción and southern Paraguay.

Benitez fires head of National Emergency Agency, Joaquin Roa, after it is revealed he bought a yacht from a drug trafficker.

President Abdo Benitez fires Interior Minister Arnaldo Giuzzio due to ties to a drug trafficker.

Protests against the government and calls for Benitez to resign for the weak response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is now surging. Paraguay has received few doses of vaccine, the health minister has resigned, and hospitals are overwhelmed and running out of supplies.

Paraguay has about 800 cases and 11 deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Protests about economic inequality have led the government to institute a process it calls “state reform.”

Government announces that it will act to improve the quality of public spending and reduce the number of public employees.

Paraguay has instituted stay-at-home order, and closed borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pres Mario Abdo Benítez is confirmed to have dengue fever amid a nationwide outbreak

Power is lost in all of Argentina and parts of Uruguay and Paraguay. It is mostly restored by the end of the day.

Paraguay cuts diplomatic relations with Venezuela.

Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Paraguay, joined by Canada, submit a complaint against Venezuela with the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

Government returns its Israel embassy to Tel Aviv as Benitez moves to reset its Middle East policy.

Abdo Benitez of the Colorado Party elected president with about 46% of the vote. Efrain Alegre of the liberal opposition alliance is second with 43%.