 | |
 Paraguay |  Spain |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of Paraguay,Madrid | Embassy of Spain,Asunción |
TheRepublic of Paraguay and theKingdom of Spain have maintainedcurrent and historical relations. Both nations are members of theAssociation of Spanish Language Academies and theOrganization of Ibero-American States.
In 1524,Aleixo Garcia, a Portuguese explorer in the service of Spain arrived to present-day Paraguay.[1] In 1536, the first Spanish settlements in Paraguay were established byDomingo Martínez de Irala in theAsunción region and initially, Spanish settlers lived in peace among theGuaraní people.[1] In 1542, Paraguay officially became part of theSpanish Empire and governed by the newly createdViceroyalty of Peru based inLima.
In the early 1600s,Jesuit missionaries began arriving to Paraguay and established missions to convert the local Guaraní people toCatholicism. This period was known as theJesuit reduction.[1] For the next 150 years, Jesuits developed their own autonomous area of control within Paraguay which led to conflict with the Spanish administration of the colony. From 1721 to 1735, Spanish landowners waged a struggle to overthrow the Jesuit monopoly of Indian trade and labor. Spanish and Portuguese troops joined together to overthrow the Jesuit dominance in the region which resulted in the Jesuits being expelled from Paraguay and nearby colonies in 1767.[1]
In 1776, theViceroyalty of the Río de la Plata was created based inBuenos Aires and Paraguay fell under its new administration. By the early 1800s, a sense of independence was spreading throughoutSpanish America. In May 1810, theMay Revolution occurred in Buenos Aires which began theArgentine War of Independence. Because Paraguay fell under the governance of Buenos Aires, the act of independence in Argentina affected Paraguay although leaders in Paraguay refused to accept the declaration of Argentine Independence.[1]
Although initially Paraguay was against independence from Spain, in May 1811 aJunta was created in Asuncion led byFulgencio Yegros. The Junta declared Paraguayan independence and in July 1811, they sent a letter to Buenos Aires expressing their desire of a confederation with Argentina, however, by October 1812, the confederation was disbanded after Argentina made its intentions to use Paraguayan troops for its own independence and interprovincial quarrels. In October 1812 Paraguay declared itself an independent republic.[1]
On 10 September 1880, both Paraguay and Spain signed aTreaty of Peace and Friendship thus officially establishing diplomatic relations between both nations.[2] During theSpanish Civil War (1936-1939), eight Paraguayan nationals (known asMiliciano guaraní) fought in the war as part of theInternational Brigades for theRepublican faction and they fought in theBattle of the Ebro.[3]
Paraguay maintained diplomatic relations throughout GeneralFrancisco Franco’s administration. Relations between Paraguay and Spain strengthened under the Presidency ofAlfredo Stroessner. In July 1973, President Stroessner paid an official visit to Spain and met with General Franco.[4]
In October 1990, Spanish KingJuan Carlos I paid his first official visit to Paraguay.[5] The King would visit Paraguay again in 2006 and once more in 2011 to attend theIbero-American Summit being held in the Paraguayan capital. In June 2015, Paraguayan PresidentHoracio Cartes paid an official visit to Spain.[2]
Over the years, several agreements and treaties have been signed by both nations such as an Agreement on the Exchange of Diplomatic Packages (1925); Agreement on Cultural Exchanges (1958); Agreement on Dual-Citizenship (1959); Agreement on the Elimination of Visa Requirements (1959); Agreement on Economic Cooperation (1971); Agreement on Air Transportation (1976); Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments (1993); Extradition Treaty (1998); Agreement on the participation of citizens who legally reside in either Paraguay or Spain to participate in local elections (2009) and an Agreement on Cyber security Cooperation (2015).
There are direct, non-stop flights between both nations withAir Europa since 2011.
In 2018, trade between Paraguay and Spain totaled €176 million Euros.[2] Paraguay's main exports to Spain include: vegetable oil, wood, perfumes, tobacco and furniture. Spain's main exports to Paraguay include: perfume, machinery, paper, automobile and trucks, electrical equipment and airplanes. That same year, Spain had US$29 million worth of investments in Paraguay.[2] Spanish multinational companies such asBanco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria andMapfre operate in Paraguay.
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