Nicanor Duarte

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President of Paraguay
Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos

Incumbent
Assumed office 15 August 2003
Vice President	Luis Alberto Castiglioni Soria
Preceded by	Luis Ángel González Macchi

Born	11 October 1956 (1956-10-11) (age 51) Coronel Oviedo, Caaguazú, Paraguay
Political party	ANR-PC
Spouse	María Gloria Penayo Solaeche

Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos (born October 11, 1956) has served as the President of Paraguay since 2003.

Born in Coronel Oviedo, Caaguazú, Duarte grew up during the Stroessner administration and was affiliated with Stroessner's Colorado Party at the age of 14 while attending high school in Coronel Oviedo. Duarte is married to María Gloria Penayo Solaeche and they have six children.

In 1974 Duarte Frutos received a bachelor's degree in Sciences and Letters. In 1984 he obtained a law degree from the Catholic University of Asunción and in 1989 a doctorate from the National University of Asunción. Later he joined the ruling Colorado party. The preliminary candidate for the Colorados in December 1992 was the former minister of Integration Juan Carlos Wasmosy Monti who in August 1993 became the president of Paraguay. Wasmosy appointed Duarte as his Minister of Education and Culture. In 1996, a political controversy led Duarte to leave the ruling party. In February 1997 he resigned as a minister and joined the Reconciliacion Colorada Movement (MRC).

In January 2001 he joined the ruling ANR-PC again and stood for its presidency for the period 2001-2004. He obtained the presidential nomination from his party on December 22, 2002 and contested the national election of April 27, 2003. He was proclaimed president with 37.1% of the votes, ahead of Franco with 24%, Fadul with 21.3% and Sánchez with 13.5% of the votes. He took office on August 15 for the presidential term 2003-2008, becoming the eleventh consecutive ANR-PC president.

Duarte has pursued policies which are somewhat more left-wing than has been the case for the Colorado Party over its 60-year rule of Paraguay. At least in speeches, he has opposed free trade and reached out to regional Latin American countries with left-leaning governments.