The National Crusade Party (PCN, Spanish: Partido Cruzada Nacional), formerly National Crusade Movement (MCN, Spanish: Movimento Cruzada Nacional), is a far-right populist political party in Paraguay led by lawyer and ex-senator Paraguayo "Payo" Cubas.[5]
National Crusade Party Partido Cruzada Nacional | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | PCN |
| Leader | Payo Cubas |
| President | Hermes Chamorro Garcete[citation needed] |
| Founded | 2018[1] (MCN) February 2020 (PCN) |
| Headquarters | Teniente Moreno 371 c/ Teniente Bernal, barrio Fátima, Asunción[2] |
| Ideology | Paraguayan nationalism Right-wing populism Anti-corruption Anti-establishment Anti-Brazilian sentiment |
| Political position | Far-right[3][4] |
| National affiliation | Concertación (2022) |
| Colours | Black Yellow |
| Chamber of Deputies | 4 / 80 |
| Chamber of Senators | 2 / 45 |
| Website | |
| Facebook page | |
Party leader Payo Cubas is a prominent political and media personality known for his provocative publicity stunts. A lawyer, he served one term in Congress from 1993 to 1998 as a member of the center-left National Encounter Party. In 2018, Cubas was elected to the Senate as a sole member of the National Crusade Movement but was suspended for outbursts and physical altercations with Senate colleagues.[6]
History edit
Following the results of the 2018 elections, the party elected its representative, Paraguayo "Payo" Cubas, to the Senate.[7][8] In November 2019, he was expelled from the Senate on charges of abuse of power and hooliganism.[9]
In February 2020, the National Crusade Movement was renamed to the National Crusade Party.[10]
In 2020, the party suffered a split after some members of the MCN accused the leader of the party, Cubas, and his wife, Yolanda Paredes, of authoritarianism.[11]
After the party's failure in the 2021 municipal elections, Paraguayo Cubas, the president of the party, announced his resignation.[12]
On the eve of the 2023 general election, the Cubas party participated in the creation of the Concertación coalition,[13] but soon left it before the election of a single opposition candidate, deciding to participate in the elections independently.[5][14] In the 2023 elections, Cubas was considered an outsider or spoiler candidate for the Concertación, who would gain support among the anti-systemic electorate, advocating the death penalty for corruption.[6][15]
In the general election, despite Cubas losing the presidential election (winning almost 23% of the vote), the party became the third largest political force in both Chambers of Congress (after the Colorado Party and the PLRA), winning 4 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 5 seats in the Senate.[16] Among the Senators-elect are Cubas's wife Yolanda Paredes and plastic artist Rafael "Mbururú" Esquivel, the latter arrested over child sexual abuse charges at the time of the election.[17]
Electoral results edit
President edit
| Election | Candidate | Votes | % | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Paraguayo Cubas | 692,663 | 22.92% | Lost 
|
Senate edit
| Election | Votes | % | Position | Seats | +/– | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 58,409 | 2.48% |  7th
|
1 / 45
|
New | Opposition |
| 2023 | 331.657 | 11.00% | 3rd
|
5 / 45
|
6
|
Opposition |
Chamber of Deputies edit
| Election | Votes | % | Position | Seats | +/– | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 33,417 | 1.41% | 7th
|
1 / 80
|
New | Opposition |
| 2023 | 233,812 | 8.24% | 3rd
|
4 / 80
|
3
|
Opposition |
References edit
- ^ https://tsje.gov.py/static/ups/partidos/estatutos/estatuto-cruzada-nacional-2021(1).pdf Estatuto
- ^ https://tsje.gov.py/partidos/ver/53-partido-cruzada-nacional.html Partido Cruzada Nacional
- ^ Politi, Daniel (5 May 2023). "Paraguay far-right populist presidential candidate arrested". AP News. Buenos Aires. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ Nickson, Andrew (May 2023). "Opinión | Tenemos que hablar del Partido Colorado" [Opinion | We need to talk about the Colorado Party]. Nueva Sociedad (in Spanish).
...Paraguayo «Payo» Cubas, polémico ex-senador y candidato populista de extrema derecha... [...Paraguayan "Payo" Cubas, controversial former senator and far-right populist candidate...]
- ^ a b "Cruzada Nacional, de Paraguayo Cubas, sale de la Concertación - Política - ABC Color". www.abc.com.py (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Meet the Candidates: Paraguay". Americas Quarterly. 3 January 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "El polémico Paraguayo Cubas gana una banca en el Senado" [The controversial Paraguayo Cubas wins a seat in the Senate]. Última Hora (in Spanish). 23 April 2018.
- ^ "Payo agradece victoria y promete paredón a corruptos" [Payo tranks victory and promises firing squad to corrupt ones]. ABC Color (in Spanish). 23 April 2018.
- ^ "Senado expulsa a Paraguayo Cubas". Última Hora (in Spanish). 28 November 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "Cruzada Nacional pide ser partido - Política - ABC Color". www.abc.com.py (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "División en Cruzada Nacional por "autoritarismo" - ABC en el Este - ABC Color". www.abc.com.py (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "Ante fracaso electoral, Payo anuncia su renuncia como titular del Partido Cruzada Nacional - Nacionales - ABC Color". www.abc.com.py (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "Opositores fijan comicios para elegir chapa presidencial". ultimahora.com (in European Spanish). 22 April 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "Cubas inscribe su chapa tras salir de la Concertación". Última Hora (in Spanish). 18 August 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "2023 Elections in Latin America: A Preview". AS/COA. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "El Partido Colorado tendrá 49 representantes en Cámara de Diputados". La Nación (Paraguay) (in Spanish). 30 April 2023.
- ^ "Un candidato paraguayo que fue electo senador está preso e imputado por abuso sexual a una menor" (in Spanish). Infobae. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.