Nicanor Duarte Frutos
By David Cheng

Nicanor Duarte Frutos, current President of the Republic of Paraguay, was born on October 11, 1956 in Colonel Oviedo, Caaguazu. At the age of 14, while still attending high school, he joined in the Colorado Party at that time under the times most feared dictator, Alfredo Stroessner. His father worked as a militant farm laborer under Stroessner’s Colorado Party. It was also that reason that made young Nicanor wanting to join in the Colorado Party.

In the year 1971, he had received a bachelor’s degree on sciences and letters. He then later at the year 1977, along with his degree, successfully got a job as a priest chief at the radio station in Caaguazu. Then on the year 1984, he got into the Catholic University of Asuncion. There, he received a law degree. Later on the year 1989, he then received a doctorates degree from the National University of Asuncion.

He was also the first to hold in the movement called Reviving traditionalism, who is originally led by their leader, Ángel Roberto Seifart. In August 1993, when the Colorado representative candidate Juan Carlos Wasmosy Monti was elected President of Paraguay, President Wasmosy then appointed Nicanor as Minister of Education and Culture. Nicanor didn’t stay as a Minister of Education and Culture for long, a series of events in 1996 through 1997 led Nicanor to step down and resigned his position. But that wasn’t the end of his career. He then joined in Reconciliacion Colorada Movement, otherwise known as MRC.

In January, at the year 2001, he started to prepare as a candidate for a possible running in the governing party for the years 2001 through 2004. He was then elected as the Parties leader on May 6, 2001. He then went ahead and held this position until the mid 2003. Finally, in August 15, 2003, he took possession as the President of Paraguay. His term is from the year 2003 through the year 2008, he then also became the eleventh consecutive ANR-PC president.

Nicanor Duarte Frutos is currently married, and has six children of his own. His wife’s name is María Gloria Penayo Solaeche.

Currently last week, he had met with Chan Shui-Pian, the President of Taiwan in Paraguay. President Chan Shui-Pian came to visit Paraguay from May 5 through May 7. Together the two Presidents sat and talk more about the themes that would benefit both countries.