Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos (born 11 October 1956) is a Paraguayan lawyer, journalist and politician who served as the 47th President of Paraguay from 2003 to 2008.

Born into a lower class rural family, Duarte pursued a career in law and later journalism, becoming a radio sports commentator and columnist.

[2] In the 1990s he got into politics, serving in the cabinets of Presidents Juan Carlos Wasmosy and Luis González Macchi, both times as Minister of Education.

Duarte became one of the top allies of the Colorado Party politician Luis María Argaña, inheriting his political clout after his assassination in March 1999.

Duarte was elected president in 2003, by a plurality of 37%, taking advantage of a three-way split in the opposition to the incumbent Colorado Party.

[3][4][5] Duarte's administration was marked by a rejection of the path his country and party had taken in the past decade, turning away from neoliberalism to instead embrace the pink tide and 21st century socialism.

Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos was born on 11 October 1956 in Coronel Oviedo, Caaguazú, to a rural lower-class mestizo family.

His father, Héctor Roque Duarte, was a police officer and songwriter who fought on the colorado side of the Paraguayan Civil War of 1947, under general Patricio Colmán.

Duarte became an opponent of army general and colorado caudillo Lino Oviedo, who led 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.

This sparked rage and fear of another coup by Oviedo, which led to large protests that eventually made Cubas resign.

Nonetheless, Gonzalez Quintana proceeded to the swearing-in and swore Duarte Frutos, who arrived at the Legislative Palace followed by fellow Colorado Party supporters.