Nicanor Duarte facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicanor Duarte
Duarte in 2006
47th President of Paraguay
In office 15 August 2003 – 15 August 2008
Vice President	Luis Castiglioni Francisco Oviedo
Preceded by	Luis González Macchi
Succeeded by	Fernando Lugo
Paraguayan Director of the Yacyretá Dam
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 August 2018
Preceded by	Ángel María Recalde
Paraguayan Ambassador to Argentina
In office 25 October 2013 – 4 January 2016
President	Horacio Cartes
Preceded by	Gabriel Enciso López
Succeeded by	Federico González
President of the Colorado Party
In office 15 May 2001 – 14 August 2003
Preceded by	Bader Rachid Lichi
Succeeded by	José Alberto Alderete
Minister of Education and Culture
In office 30 March 1999 – 29 January 2001
President	Luis González Macchi
Preceded by	Celsa Bareiro de Soto
Succeeded by	Darío Zárate Arellano
In office 15 August 1993 – 13 February 1997
President	Juan Carlos Wasmosy
Preceded by	Horacio Galeano Perrone
Succeeded by	Vicente Sarubbi
Personal details
Born	Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos (1956-10-11) 11 October 1956 (age 68) Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay
Political party	Colorado Party
Spouse	Gloria Penayo ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	6
Alma mater	Universidad Católica de Asunción Universidad Nacional de Asunción
Occupation	Lawyer journalist politician
Signature
Nickname	El tendota

Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos (born 11 October 1956) is a Paraguayan lawyer, journalist, and politician. He served as the 47th President of Paraguay from 2003 to 2008. As a member of the Colorado Party, he became a very important person in Paraguayan politics during his time as president.

Nicanor Duarte Frutos grew up in a rural family that didn't have much money. He studied law and later became a journalist. He worked as a radio sports commentator and wrote for newspapers. In the 1990s, he started his political career. He worked in the government for Presidents Juan Carlos Wasmosy and Luis González Macchi as the Minister of Education.

Duarte became a close friend and supporter of a powerful politician named Luis María Argaña. After Argaña passed away in 1999, Duarte took over his political influence. In 2003, Duarte was elected president. He won with about 37% of the votes because the other political parties were split. At 46 years old, Duarte was one of Paraguay's youngest presidents. He was also the first president who was not Catholic, as he had become a Protestant.

During his time as president, Duarte changed some of the ways Paraguay had been run before. He moved away from older economic ideas and became friends with other Latin American countries that had left-leaning governments. Paraguay's economy grew while he was president, partly because the country was recovering from problems in the 1990s. He was a supporter of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Duarte also suggested changing the constitution so that a president could be elected again. Some people in Paraguay thought he was becoming too powerful because of this. This might have led to his party's candidate, Blanca Ovelar, losing the election in 2008.

After leaving office, Duarte was elected as a senator in 2008. However, the Senate did not allow him to take his seat. They said it was against the constitution for a former president to be an active senator. This happened again in 2018. From 2013 to 2016, Duarte served as Ambassador to Argentina. Later, he was put in charge of the Yacyretá Dam. Like all former presidents, Duarte now has the special title of Senator for life. This is a ceremonial role, meaning he doesn't have voting power.

Early Life and Career

Family Background

Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos was born on 11 October 1956 in Coronel Oviedo, which is in the Caaguazú area of Paraguay. His family lived in the countryside and did not have much money. His father, Héctor Roque Duarte, was a police officer and also wrote songs. He fought in the Paraguayan Civil War of 1947 on the side of the Colorado Party. His mother, Disnarda Antonia Frutos, was a teacher. Nicanor started working at sawmills when he was eleven years old, even while he was still going to school. When he was fourteen, he joined the Colorado Party. At that time, during the dictatorship, it was almost expected for people to join the party.

Education and Early Work

In the 1970s, Duarte moved to Asunción, the capital city. There, he studied law and journalism. He became a sports commentator for a radio station in Caaguazú. In the early 1980s, he started working as a columnist for a newspaper called Última Hora. At this time, Duarte was quite poor. He lived in a small apartment and didn't own many things. In 1984, he earned his law degree from the Catholic University of Asuncion. Then, in 1989, he received a doctorate from the National University of Asuncion.

Family Life

In the 1970s, Nicanor Duarte began dating María Gloria Penayo Solaeche. They got married in 1984. They have six children together: José, Héctor, María, Martín, Santiago, and Facundo. María Gloria Penayo is a member of a Mennonite church. Duarte decided to change his religion and join her church.

Political Journey

After Alfredo Stroessner's government ended in 1989, Duarte became more involved in politics. He started to rise through the ranks of the Colorado Party during the 1990s. He first became the Vice Minister of Education under President Rodríguez. Later, in 1993, President Juan Carlos Wasmosy appointed him as the Minister of Education.

Duarte did not support army general Lino Oviedo, who tried to overthrow President Wasmosy in 1996 but failed. Because he opposed Oviedo, Duarte became closer to Oviedo's main rival, Luis María Argaña. Argaña led his own group within the Colorado Party. In 1997, Duarte left his job as Minister of Education to become Argaña's running mate. They ran together in the Colorado Party elections to choose who would be the party's candidate for president in the 1998 election. To help unite the party, Argaña later became the running mate for Raúl Cubas, who was supported by Oviedo. Cubas won the election.

In March 1999, Vice President Argaña passed away. This caused a lot of anger and fear of another possible coup by Oviedo. Many people protested, which led to President Cubas resigning. Luis González Macchi, who was part of Argaña's group, became president. He quickly appointed Duarte back to the Ministry of Education. Duarte then took over Argaña's political group and influence, becoming his successor. In 2001, he left his role as Education Minister to become the president of the Colorado Party.

The 2003 Presidential Election

Colorado Party Primary

On 22 December 2002, Nicanor Duarte Frutos won the Colorado Party's vote to become their candidate for president in the 2003 general election. He won against Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb, a rich businessman who was famous for being the president of the Club Olimpia football team.

General Election Victory

On 27 April 2003, Duarte won the presidential election. He received 37.1% of the votes. He beat Julio César "Yoyito" Franco from the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (who got 24% of the votes), Pedro Fadul from the new Beloved Fatherland Party (21.3%), and Guillermo Sánchez (13.5%). The fact that the other parties were split into three main groups helped Duarte win the election.

Presidency (2003–2008)

Duarte with Argentine President Néstor Kirchner in 2004

Duarte with US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in 2005

As president, Nicanor Duarte Frutos introduced policies that were a bit more left-leaning than what the Colorado Party had done in the past 60 years. In his speeches, he spoke against completely free trade. He also tried to build stronger relationships with other Latin American countries that had left-leaning governments.

Overall, the economy of Paraguay grew during his time as president. This growth was mostly part of the country recovering from financial problems it faced in the 1990s. Duarte supported and was supported by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. He also suggested changing the constitution to allow a president to be re-elected. This made many people in Paraguay think he was trying to gain too much power. This feeling partly led to his chosen successor, Blanca Ovelar, losing the 2008 election.

After the Presidency

After leaving office, Duarte Frutos was elected as a senator in two different elections. However, he was not allowed to take his seat as an active, voting senator. This is because Paraguayan law states that when presidents leave office, they become a senador vitalicio (senator for life). This is a special title that means they are a senator, but they do not have voting power.

Duarte first tried to resign as president early in 2008 to become a senator. However, the Paraguayan Congress did not accept his resignation. This meant he had to finish his term as president. Because he couldn't take the senator seat on the planned date, another person from the Colorado Party was given the seat instead.

Later, the Paraguayan Senate officially confirmed that Duarte Frutos would be a senador vitalicio, or senator for life. This meant he would not have a voting seat. In 2018, Duarte Frutos and the outgoing President Horacio Cartes were again elected as senators. However, just like before, they were not able to take their seats as active senators.

See also

In Spanish: Nicanor Duarte Frutos para niños