Greetings! We recently returned from a trip to Paraguay (pah-rah-wy; country #96), where we were able to spend a day experiencing the capital, Asunción (ah-soon-see-OHN). Below, you will find information and photos from our trip.
“Para” in the indigenous language, Guaraní (gwah-rah-NEE), means “river or sea,” and “agua” (ah-gwah) in Guaraní means “place where it comes from.” As a result, Paraguay means “the place where the water comes from.” Paraguay is the heart of South America, and is bordered to the north by Bolivia, to the east by Brazil, and to the west and south by Argentina (Asunción is 7km/4mi from the Argentina border). While it does not have an oceanic coastline, Paraguay is over the largest aquifer in the world (shared with Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay).
Interesting Fact: Paraguay (which is landlocked) has the largest navy in South America, and the third largest fleet of barges in the world, which depend on the rivers. Brazil and Argentina have access to the same rivers, but do not need to use them because they have oceanic coastlines. Because of how much access Paraguay has to water, it is said that anyone who is worried about a water shortage should move there. We were also told that Asunción is the greenest capital in Iberoamerica (Latin America without Haiti).
Paraguay has seven million inhabitants, 500,000 of whom live in Asunción, which was established in 1537, making it the second oldest city in South America (it was established four years after Lima [Peru] and before Buenos Aires [Argentina]). During the week (Monday through Friday), two million people can be found in the city, as they come from surrounding areas to work and study. We were told that “all Paraguayans have mixed blood” due to its history, including Spanish (specifically), Europeans (in general), Asians, and blacks (who were brought over as slaves from Angola through Brazil; most of them were killed during the War of the Triple Alliance). Forty percent of Paraguayans have Italian heritage, followed by Spanish and German heritage, all of which is reflected in the surnames within the population.
The Guaraní were indigenous to Paraguay, and when the Spanish came to the area, they befriended the Guaraní people to defeat others who attempted to take control of that same land. The Guaraní language was the language of the “poor and miserable people,” and a majority of the population within the last two generations do not speak the language. That said, people outside of Asunción are uncomfortable speaking Spanish, and speak Guaraní exclusively. Thirty years ago, Guaraní became an official language of the Paraguayan state (in addition to Spanish), and they now have to learn it in school, but our guide said it is “the Shakespeare or Bronx version of Guaraní.” Similarly, he said that students can learn English in school, but it is “very bad.”
Schooling is mandatory across the country. In urban areas, it is mandatory that students attend school until 12th grade, while in rural areas, it is mandatory to go to school until 6th grade. There is a National University within Asunción, where students can attend for free (though they have to pay for registration fees and study materials). With regard to healthcare, there are several options: public (for anyone); semi-private (where you pay 9% of your salary every month, which goes towards medical appointments, but not towards medications, and it can take a long time to see a specialist); and private (costs about $79USD per month).
Interesting Fact: Sanatorio means “hospital” in Spanish (in South America), and Sanitario means “bathroom.” However, if you say “baño” (bahn-yoh), they will understand what you mean.
Fides Et Patria means “faith and homeland” in Latin
Paraguay has not fought wars for independence, so, they have very few heroes. However, they had terrible wars against their neighbors, including the War of the Triple Alliance, which was 1864-1870 between Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, and resulted in the destruction of Paraguay. Paraguay was reportedly very stable before that war and wanted to develop in an autonomous way, as they had the first train and ironworks of South America, and had taken out no loans with any other country. The War of the Triple Alliance was centered around the other countries contesting borders after Paraguay’s independence, as the borders were not very well defined. Individuals from this war are buried in the National Pantheon of Heroes.
The tree represents the 500-year history of Paraguay, with the chains representing freedom of people who used to belong to others.
We were told that the Brazilian version of the same events (which is told in English) says that Paraguay had a dictator and two parties, which needed help. One of the two parties asked Brazil for help and the other party asked Paraguay, and they went to war to put in a new government into Uruguay. Apparently, around the same time, Uruguay invaded Argentina, and the other countries pushed back against Paraguay, as Brazil wanted a buffer state between them and Argentina, and established it in Paraguay. Paraguay was overtaken on January 1, 1869, during which men were executed and women were assaulted. Sixty percent of the population died, and 90% of those were men. Paraguayans did not want immigration back then, so, they engaged in polygamy to repopulate the country (polygamy has since been banned).
Sixty years later, there was a war with Paraguay and Brazil over oil between Standard Oil and Shell, as they thought there was oil in their shared body of water (the Paraguay River). The Chaco War (as it was called) eventually resulted in Paraguay receiving 75% of ownership over the river, and Bolivia getting 25%…and the oil. The War of the Triple Alliance and the Chaco War are the only wars that Paraguayans talk about when anyone asks about their 500-year history.
(which are the three powers in Paraguay).
Paraguay has two independence days: May 14 and May 15, 1811. This part of the country’s history started around the time that Napoleon conquered Portugal, and the Portuguese fled to Brazil and established a new capital. Around this same time, Paraguay had issues with Buenos Aires, and joined forces with the Spanish governor of Paraguay against Buenos Aires. They were defeated and fled back to Asunción to avoid the Argentinians. The Paraguayans eventually defeated Argentina by themselves and let go of the governor because he was not effective. They then worked towards independence, which consisted of exchanging letters with the governor all night on May 14 (called the “war of paper”) in their quest. The Paraguayans then took six canons and surrounded the governor’s house on May 15 to threaten him to secede, but they did not fire. The Spanish governor eventually acquiesced, and this became the only peaceful independence from Spain amongst countries in South America. As a result, Paraguayans celebrate their independence on May 14 and 15.
The Palace used to be this color 150 years ago, then was changed to white,
and was subsequently returned to this pinkish color in the 1890s
Interesting Fact: We were told that Asunción has never respected historical buildings, so, they have very few buildings from the 18th and 19th century. Most of their buildings were built in the 1960s and 1970s.
Also of interest is that Argentina tried to claim Paraguay as an Argentinian province for the first 40 years of Paraguay’s existence. It took 41 years for them to recognize that Paraguay was not part of Argentina (after a civil war).
Leather goods are abundant throughout Paraguay, as they have twice as many cows as people
The current government of Paraguay is led by a president, who is elected very five years, and can only serve one term. This rule was established after one president, Alfredo Stroessner (who was considered to be a dictator), was in office from 1954 to 1989. He was subsequently overthrown by his best friend. Paraguay is considered to be a rather neutral country with regard to diplomacy around the world. However, Paraguay has no diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China, and they are the biggest country in support of Taiwan, viewing Taiwan as a government of China. There reportedly was some debate about continuing this position during the last Paraguayan presidential election, and they ultimately opted to keep it this way due to the long-term benefits of doing so.
Neoclassic style from 1845
The Cathedral (which was designed and built by Paraguayans, and was rebuilt six times) is the most important building in Asunción, as it survived the war and replaced the Spanish church. It was referred to as the Catholic Church of Paraguay because it was not recognized as a Catholic Church by the Vatican. It was eventually recognized by the Vatican, and Pope John Paul II visited in 1938.
They kept this symbol even after the church was acknowledged by The Vatican
The altar has been restored, but not with the original silver or gold.
Interesting Fact: Paraguay is the only country that has a national flag with a different design on each side of the flag.
Our time in Asunción was short, but we absorbed the beauty of the city, the warmth of its inhabitants, and the wonderful flavor of its food. I strongly recommend visiting one of the least-visited countries in South America. Until next time, take care and be well…