The dispute over the selection of the vice-presidential candidate for 2028 has exposed an unprecedented tension within Honor Colorado, a movement within the Colorado Party (ANR) led by former President Horacio Cartes. Vice President Pedro Alliana reaffirmed that he will remain a presidential pre-candidate, but said he will not accept having his running mate imposed on him and will announce his decision only after the October 4 municipal elections.
The crisis began when Cartes publicly announced Urban Planning, Housing and Habitat Minister Juan Carlos Baruja as his candidate for vice president. Alliana, however, said there had been an agreement to leave the decision until after the municipal contest. After a private meeting with Cartes, he acknowledged that the two had differences and declared: “I will not accept any imposition.” He also warned that, if his autonomy is not respected, he may “go his own way.”
Baruja sought to ease the conflict. He said Cartes’ preference does not represent an imposition but a legitimate endorsement, and said he would respect any decision by Alliana. The minister also acknowledged that different sectors of the movement are putting forward their own names: lawmakers cite Raúl Latorre, president of the Chamber of Deputies; senators support Baruja; and governors back César “Cesarito” Sosa, governor of Guairá and president of the Council of Governors.
The public reaction confirmed that the disagreement is not limited to the choice of the ticket. Senators Gustavo Leite and Antonio Barrios, both close to Cartes, simultaneously posted the same phrase and image on their X accounts: “I spoke with leader Horacio Cartes and Honor Colorado remains stronger than ever!!!” Barrios, however, acknowledged that there is a “tense calm” within the movement and that many disagreements exist.
President Santiago Peña denied the existence of “Peñismo” and said that both he and Alliana remain in Honor Colorado. He also said that his relationship with Cartes “is fine” and that the municipal election should be the priority. Sosa likewise rejected, for now, the existence of separate factions, but called for a dialogue table involving senators, lawmakers, governors and grassroots leaders.
Derlis Maidana, a senator from the governing group, acknowledged that the governors had moved closer to Peña because Cartes had shown a preference for Baruja, while they support Sosa. For political scientist Esteban Caballero, who was interviewed by the newspaper Última Hora, the differences appear to be real rather than a strategy planned to present Alliana as an autonomous leader. That assessment contrasts with the interpretation of opposition figure Efraín Alegre, who described the episode as a possible “old show”; this interpretation has not been independently verified.
The conflict is unfolding as the party seeks to concentrate its organization on the October 4 municipal elections. The presidential ticket is formally expected to be decided in the primaries scheduled for December 2027, before the 2028 general elections. Until then, Honor Colorado continues to publicly support Alliana’s candidacy, but the dispute over the vice presidency has revealed limits to Cartes’ authority and opened space for new centers of power within the governing camp.