Editing Nicanor Duarte (section)

== Early life and career ==

=== Family ===
Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos was born on 11 October 1956 in [[Coronel Oviedo]], [[Caaguazú Department|Caaguazú]], to a rural lower-class ''[[mestizo]]'' family. His father, Héctor Roque Duarte, was a police officer and songwriter who fought on the [[Colorado Party (Paraguay)|''colorado'']] side of the [[Paraguayan Civil War (1947)|Paraguayan Civil War of 1947]], under [[General officer|general]] [[Patricio Colmán]].<ref>ABC Color (2006). [https://www.abc.com.py/espectaculos/un-parana-para-autor-de-soy-colorado-defensor-903164.html "Un Paraná para autor de 'Soy colorado defensor'"].</ref><ref>Cantero, A. (2007). [https://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/opinion/patricio-colman-heroe-colorado-978623.html "Patricio Colmán, ¿héroe colorado?"]. ABC Color.</ref> His mother, Disnarda Antonia Frutos, was a teacher.<ref>ABC Color (2005). [https://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/politica/esta-en-manos-del-senor-dijo-nicanor-tras-visitar-a-su-madre-810616.html "'Estás en manos del Señor' dijo Nicanor tras visita a su madre"].</ref><ref>ABC Color (2005). [https://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/politica/madre-de-duarte-frutos-dejo-terapia-intensiva-811022.html "Madre de Duarte Frutos dejó terapia intensiva"].</ref> Nicanor started working at [[sawmill]]s when he was eleven, while attending school.<ref>Franchini, M. (2003). [https://www.cadal.org/publicaciones/articulos/?id=329 "Un presidente que busca cambiar la historia"]. Centro para la Apertura y Desarrollo de América Latina.</ref> At fourteen he joined the Colorado Party, something that was ''de facto'' mandatory at the time, due to [[Dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner|the dictatorship]].

=== Education and early career ===
In the 1970s Duarte moved to [[Asunción]], where he studied law and journalism. He became a [[sports commentator]], working at a Caaguazú [[Radio broadcasting|radio station]]. In the early 1980s he was hired by the [[editor-in-chief]] of [[Última Hora (Paraguay)|Última Hora]], where he started working as a [[columnist]]. At this point in his life Duarte was fairly poor, he lived in a small apartment and had few material possessions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-01-20 |title=De periodista pobre a político millonario |url=https://www.ultimahora.com/de-periodista-pobre-politico-millonario-n15814 |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=Última Hora |language=es}}</ref>  In 1984 he obtained a law degree from the [[Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción|Catholic University of Asuncion]] and in 1989 a doctorate from the [[Universidad Nacional de Asunción|National University of Asuncion]].

=== Wife and children ===
In the 1970s he started dating [[Gloria Penayo|María Gloria Penayo Solaeche]], who he married in 1984. They had six children: José, Héctor, María, Martín, Santiago and Facundo.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Primera dama, Gloria Penayo de Duarte - Locales - ABC Color |url=https://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/locales/primera-dama-gloria-penayo-de-duarte-858699.html |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=www.abc.com.py |language=es}}</ref> Penayo is a member of a [[Mennonites|Mennonite church]], Duarte decided to [[Religious conversion|convert]] alongside her.

=== Political career ===
After [[1989 Paraguayan coup d'état|the fall of Alfredo Stroessner]] in 1989, Duarte got more involved in politics and started climbing up the ladder of the Colorado Party throughout the 1990s. He became Vice Minister of Education during the [[Andrés Rodríguez (politician)|Rodríguez]] administration and was later appointed Minister of Education by President [[Juan Carlos Wasmosy]] in 1993.

Duarte became an opponent of [[army general]] and ''colorado'' ''[[caudillo]]'' [[Lino Oviedo]], who led [[1996 Paraguayan coup attempt|a failed coup]] against Wasmosy in 1996. His opposition to Oviedo drifted Duarte increasingly closer to the general's main rival, [[Luis María Argaña]], who led his own faction within the party, the ''Colorado Reconciliation Movement''. In 1997 Duarte left the Ministry of Education to instead be Argaña's running mate in the Colorado Party [[Partisan primary|primaries]], held to elect the party's nominee for president in the [[1998 Paraguayan general election|1998 election]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Cuarta victoria consecutiva de Nicanor en las elecciones - Política - ABC Color |url=https://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/politica/cuarta-victoria-consecutiva-de-nicanor-en-las-elecciones-887210.html |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=www.abc.com.py |language=es}}</ref> In an effort to unite the party, Argaña became the running mate of the ''oviedista'' [[Raúl Cubas Grau|Raúl Cubas]], who won the election.

In March 1999 Vice President Argaña was assassinated. This sparked rage and fear of another coup by Oviedo, which led to [[Marzo paraguayo|large protests]] that eventually made Cubas resign. The ''argañista'' [[Luis Ángel González Macchi|Luis González Macchi]] was sworn in as president and quickly appointed Duarte back to the Ministry of Education. Duarte inherited Argaña's political faction and clout, effectively becoming his successor. In 2001 he resigned as Education Minister to become president of the Colorado Party.