Paraguay Timeline

By lucy.kaufman1
  • 1526

    Paraguay is explored.

    Italian navigator Sebastian Cabot explores the rivers of Paraguay.

  • Paraguay becomes independent.

    Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811.

  • New constitution.

    The new democratic constitution promulgated.
  • Fires destroy forest.

    Fires destroy forest.

    The government declares a state of emergency after fires destroy more than 100,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land.

  • Large number of citizens can now vote.

    2011 October - Paraguayans approve a constitutional change giving the vote to the large number of citizens living abroad.
  • Horacio Cartes is elected president.

    Horacio Cartes is elected president.

    He was elected President of Paraguay with 45.80% of the vote. When he took office on 15 August, it marked only the second time in the country's 202 years of independence that a ruling party peacefully surrendered power to the opposition.

  • Massive floods strike.

    Paraguay is the worst-hit as South America experiences its worst floods in decades, forcing more than 100,000 residents to evacuate.

  • Issue health alerts.

    Paraguay becomes the latest Latin American country to issue health alerts to try to prevent the spread of three mosquito-borne diseases - dengue fever, chikangunya and zika.
  • Outbrack of Dengue fever.

    Outbrack of Dengue fever.

    Government declares a state of emergency in response to the outbreak of dengue fever.
  • President Mario Abdo Benítez was elected.

    President Mario Abdo Benítez was elected.

    He is nicknamed "Marito". Paraguayan Conservative politician who is the President of Paraguay. He also was President of the Senate.