Ricardo Palma tells that the Liberator Simón Bolívar sent a letter to Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, the gloomy tyrant who subjugated the Paraguayans and inspired Carlyle and Roa Bastos immortal pages of history and literature (I, the Supreme). The one in charge of delivering it to Doctor Francia was a captain of surname Ruiz, who after a long month of fatigues, arrived at the border of Paraguay. From there he was taken to Asuncion by two guards who only spoke Guarani. Upon arriving at the tyrant's house, prevented from getting off, he handed the document to the officer on duty. An hour later he received a sealed envelope with the dictator's reply. In it, the "Supremo" unbaptized Bolivar, refused the opening and proclaimed the eternity of the Guarani autarchy.

Paraguayan history influences its institutional configuration. The political system fosters the influence of the parties and the weight of the caudillos. Lugo, the former Catholic bishop, has been defenestrated because his serious mistakes were capitalized by the relentless political machinery of "los colorados", supported by the Partido Liberal Radical Auténtico (PLRA), allies of the president until last Tuesday. Patria Querida and the UNACE of the military man Lino Oviedo have bowed to the inevitable. The Police confrontation with land invaders was the detonator of the crisis although the destruction of Lugo is, in essence, the chronicle of a coordinated maneuver. The vote against him was overwhelming (39 senators against 4). Unlike Zelaya, who had internal support, the unions in favor and an organized left, Lugo is going home with no backing to resist. His dalliances with the socialism of the 21st century undermined his image as an independent reformist. The presence of the UNASUR Foreign Ministers and the fuss made by Brasilia, Quito and Caracas, rather than strengthening his position, weakens it. If there is something that Paraguayan political culture does not admit is the ucase of foreign powers.

The former president erred in trying to divide and postpone the PLRA. On the other hand, the colorado party (ANR) is playing the card of absolute institutional control to ensure its hegemonic return in next year's elections. It is very likely that this will be achieved, since, in spite of the corruption scandals, the colorados have as much weight in Paraguay as the PRI in Mexico or Peronism in Argentina. And now they are united for the elections, unlike in 2008, when they were defeated by Lugo, the outsider. As Martín Adán used to say: finally, we are back to normality.