Paraguay
The Republic of Paraguay
Hailey Fox
15 October 2012
EDF 770
I. Paraguay
The Republic of Paraguay is located in central South America. My reasons for choosing Paraguay are both personal and academic. My undergraduate degree is in International Studies with a focus on Latin America. As part of my university program, I did two study abroad terms in Argentina and Brazil. In 2007, while studying in Brazil, I made a brief visit to Asunción, Paraguay. Recent political strife in Paraguay caught my attention. The country had finally been progressing politically but in June 2012 suddenly experienced an abrupt threat to Paraguay’s democratic legitimacy. There was a political coup initiated by the Colorado Party, which, until 2008, had held power for 61 years through a series of dictators. The occasion mirrored the power-driven actions that have long prevented agrarian reforms to economically empower the working class. The polarized distribution of power has distanced the political process from the majority of Paraguayans.
Paraguay is intriguing due to its central location, as a democratic crossroads bordering Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. It is also unique in its use of Guaraní language in addition to Spanish. The contemporary bilingualism implies an interesting history of colonialism in Paraguay with lasting implications. These factors, along with recent attendance to a presentation by a Paraguayan organization that works for disabled human rights, Fundación Saraki, are my motivation for studying Paraguay.
II. Geography
Land and water combined, the area of Paraguay is 153,398 square miles, similar in size to the state of California. Paraguay is a landlocked country, more than 400 miles from the nearest coast. Its main body of water is the Paraguay River, which divides the nation into two geographically distinct regions: the smaller, eastern Región Oriental and the larger Chaco Region to the west.
The two regions provide contrasting
Hailey Fox
15 October 2012
EDF 770
I. Paraguay
The Republic of Paraguay is located in central South America. My reasons for choosing Paraguay are both personal and academic. My undergraduate degree is in International Studies with a focus on Latin America. As part of my university program, I did two study abroad terms in Argentina and Brazil. In 2007, while studying in Brazil, I made a brief visit to Asunción, Paraguay. Recent political strife in Paraguay caught my attention. The country had finally been progressing politically but in June 2012 suddenly experienced an abrupt threat to Paraguay’s democratic legitimacy. There was a political coup initiated by the Colorado Party, which, until 2008, had held power for 61 years through a series of dictators. The occasion mirrored the power-driven actions that have long prevented agrarian reforms to economically empower the working class. The polarized distribution of power has distanced the political process from the majority of Paraguayans.
Paraguay is intriguing due to its central location, as a democratic crossroads bordering Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. It is also unique in its use of Guaraní language in addition to Spanish. The contemporary bilingualism implies an interesting history of colonialism in Paraguay with lasting implications. These factors, along with recent attendance to a presentation by a Paraguayan organization that works for disabled human rights, Fundación Saraki, are my motivation for studying Paraguay.
II. Geography
Land and water combined, the area of Paraguay is 153,398 square miles, similar in size to the state of California. Paraguay is a landlocked country, more than 400 miles from the nearest coast. Its main body of water is the Paraguay River, which divides the nation into two geographically distinct regions: the smaller, eastern Región Oriental and the larger Chaco Region to the west.
The two regions provide contrasting
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