Blanca Ovelar
Encyclopedia
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
an politician and former Minister of Education. She was the Colorado Party
Colorado Party (Paraguay)
The National Republican Association – Colorado Party is a political party in Paraguay, founded in 1887 by Bernardino Caballero. It is usually known as the Colorado Party...
's nominee for president in the April 2008 presidential election
Paraguayan general election, 2008
The 2008 Paraguayan general election was held in Paraguay on April 20, 2008. This includes presidential, legislative, and local elections. The presidential election was won by opposition candidate Fernando Lugo of the Patriotic Alliance for Change, who defeated Blanca Ovelar of the long-ruling...
, in which she was defeated.
Ovelar was backed for the Colorado Party nomination by President Nicanor Duarte. Initial results showed Ovelar narrowly defeating her rival for the nomination, former Vice President Luis Castiglioni, in the party's primary, held in December 2007; however, the result was disputed, leading to a recount. On January 21, the Colorado Party electoral commission announced that Ovelar had won with 45.04% of the vote against 44.5% for Castiglioni, although Castiglioni continued to claim victory.
She is the first woman to run for president in Paraguay, and would have been Paraguay's first female president if elected. Opposition candidate Fernando Lugo
Fernando Lugo
Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez is the current President of Paraguay and a former Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of San Pedro.-Early life:...
won the election, held on April 20, 2008, thereby ousting the Colorado Party after 61 years of continuous rule. Ovelar conceded the race to Lugo that very night at about 9 PM local time.