Constitution of Paraguay facts for kids

The Republic of Paraguay is a country in South America. It is governed by a special set of rules called a constitution. Paraguay has had six different constitutions since it became independent from Spain in 1811. The one they use today was created in 1992.

Paraguay's Journey to Independence

Paraguay's story began long ago. In 1516, a Spanish explorer named Juan Díaz de Solís tried to explore the Río de la Plata area. This river separates Argentina and Uruguay. After more explorations, Paraguay became a colony of Spain. Finally, in 1811, Paraguay gained its freedom from Spain.

Early Rules: The 1813 Regulations

Two years after gaining independence, in October 1813, Paraguay created its first set of governing rules. These were called the Constitutional Governmental Regulations. They had seventeen articles.

These rules set up a government led by two consuls: José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia and Fulgencio Yegros. They also planned for a legislature with 1,000 representatives. The military was very important back then. So, both consuls were made brigadier generals. They also divided the army and weapons equally between them.

However, within ten years, Consul Yegros and the legislature were gone. Francia ruled Paraguay by himself until he died in 1840.

The 1844 Constitution: More Power for One Leader

After Francia died, his successor, Carlos Antonio López, wanted to change the rules. In 1844, a new constitution was created. This new constitution gave López a lot of power, similar to what Francia had.

The Congress could make and explain laws. But only the President could decide if they would be put into action. This constitution did not limit the president's power much. It only said he could serve for ten years. The word liberty was not even in the document. Later, Congress made López president for life. He ruled for 22 years until he died in 1862. His son, Francisco Solano López, also ruled under this constitution.

The 1870 Constitution: A Step Towards Democracy

After a very difficult war called the Paraguayan War (1865-1870), a new constitution was made in November 1870. This constitution, with some changes, lasted for seventy years.

It was based on ideas like popular sovereignty (meaning the people have the power). It also introduced the separation of powers. This means government power is divided into different parts. It created a bicameral legislature, which means two houses: a Senate and a Chamber of Representatives. Even with these democratic ideas, the President still had a lot of power over the government and society.

The 1940 Constitution: Strong Presidential Control

On February 18, 1940, President José Felix Estigarribia dissolved Congress. He took emergency powers. To show he wanted big changes, he got rid of the 1870 constitution. He then created a new one on July 10, 1940.

This new constitution gave the president a lot of power. It allowed the president to be chosen in direct elections for five years. He could also be re-elected for a second term. The president could control the economy and the press. He could also stop private groups from meeting. He could even suspend people's individual freedoms.

The Senate was removed. The Chamber of Representatives had less power. A new advisory group called the Council of State was created. It represented different groups like businesses, farmers, and the military. The military was also given the job of protecting the Constitution. On August 4, 1940, the people approved this constitution in a vote.

The 1967 Constitution: Continuing Strong Powers

After becoming president in 1954, Alfredo Stroessner ruled for thirteen years using the 1940 constitution. In 1967, a new constitution was created. It kept many of the strong presidential powers from the 1940 document. However, it brought back the Senate. The lower house was renamed the Chamber of Deputies. This new constitution also allowed the president to be re-elected for two more terms starting in 1968.

The 1967 constitution had a preamble (an introduction). It also had eleven chapters with 231 articles. It defined Paraguay as a unitary republic with a representative democratic government. It also stated that Spanish and Guaraní were the official languages. Roman Catholicism was the official religion.

One long chapter talked about the rights of the people. It said people had liberty and freedom without discrimination. It also covered social, economic, labor, and political rights. For example, it said that voting was a right and a duty. It also allowed political parties to form. However, parties that wanted to destroy the republic were not allowed. Citizens also had duties, like obeying the constitution and defending the country.

However, in real life, many of these rights were not followed. President Stroessner ruled under a "state of siege" for most of his time in office. A "state of siege" is a special power. It allows the president to stop certain freedoms for up to 90 days in all or part of the country. Stroessner declared a state of siege soon after taking office. He had it renewed every 90 days. This meant that even though the constitution promised rights, the president could suspend them.

The 1992 Constitution: A More Democratic Future

In 1989, Stroessner was overthrown in a coup. This was led by Andrés Rodríguez. Rodríguez became interim president. He was then elected later that year to finish Stroessner's term.

Rodríguez governed for three years using the 1967 Constitution. But in 1992, a much more democratic constitution was created. This new constitution divided government powers among three branches.

The presidency remained important. However, its powers were greatly reduced. This was done to prevent the abuses of the past. The president can now only serve one five-year term. The president also lost the power to appoint judges and dissolve the legislature whenever they wanted. They also lost control over government spending.

The 1992 constitution also created a system of checks and balances. This means different parts of the government can limit each other's power. For example, Congress gained the power to impeach and remove the president and ministers. This was not possible under the 1967 constitution.

The rule against a president being re-elected became very strong. In 2017, there were protests when the legislature discussed changing this rule. The change would have allowed a president to run for a second term. If it had passed, the current president, Horacio Cartes, could have run again. But the constitution says that changes to a president's term should happen through a "reform," not just an "amendment." In the end, Cartes decided not to run again, and the change was defeated.