Horacio Cartes

Born in Asunción, Paraguay on July 5th, 1956
Parents: Ramón Telmo Cartes Lind and Elva Jara Lafuente
Siblings: Jorge, Sarah and Mercedes
Children: Juan Pablo (28), Sofía (24), and María Sol (15)

Following in the footsteps of his father Ramón Telmo Cartes Lind, a representative of the Cessna Aircraft Company in Paraguay, he studied at the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Tulsa, Oklahoma before a brief stint at Cessna in Wichita, Kansas.

Successful Entrepreneurial Ventures
In 1975, he would begin his entrepreneurial ventures.

Mr. Carter´s main financial and commercial ventures are Banco Amambay (since 1992), Tabacalera del Este SA (controlled since 1994), Tabacos del Paraguay SA (since 1996), Compañía Agrotabacolera del Paraguay SA (since 2002 which focus in overseeing over 1.200 tobacco growers families), Bebidas del Paraguay, Agrocitrus del Paraguay SA. He has also focused his business efforts in the food industry, forming cattle companies such as Ganadera Sofia S.A., Ganadera Chajha S.A. and Ganadera Las Pampas S.A., developing genetic, cattle breeding and fattening. Presently, these companies employ over three thousand people, leading the local market with a strong sense of social responsibility. Cartes' signature business philosophy focuses on professional training of his employees, smart use of capital and innovation.

In 2010, Great Place to Work Institute recognized Bebidas del Paraguay SA as one of the best 5 employers in the country. In 2012, three more Grupo Cartes companies including La Misión Ravenna, Tabacos del Paraguay and Ganadería Sofia joined Bebidas as some of the top 9 companies with best working conditions in Paraguay.

Soccer
Since 2001, he begins a stint presiding over Club Libertad, with ambitious plans of growth and development to reposition the team amongst the most important in the country and the continent. The next decade would see the team's heavy investment in infrastructure and roster development pay off with 7 national titles, a major stadium upgrade, several high finishes in continental competitions, major personnel contributions in the junior and senior national teams, all culminating in a historic rank amongst the top 15 football clubs in the world in 2006 and 2007.

Cartes also presided as Director of Football for the Paraguayan National teams, playing an important role in the country's all-time best finish in a World Cup, a hard-fought quarterfinal loss to eventual World champions Spain in South Africa 2010.

Politics
In September 2009, Cartes joins the Colorado Party. From the very beginning of his political involvement, he selflessly began a grassroots campaign to reposition the party. By July 2010, Cartes' standing in the party began to rise ahead of the primary elections. His main concerns were unity and hope. In November 2010, the ANR would win 132 of 238 municipal elections across the country including the major cities of Asunción, Ciudad del Este and Encarnación.

That same month he would cofound the Movimiento Honor Colorado, they set sights on the Party Leadership elections that took place in March 2011, where Honor Colorado representative Lilian Samaniego beat out Frente Para La Victoria's Luis Castiglioni. Ms. Samaniego became the first woman in ANR history to preside over the party leadership. Up today, the Movimiento Honor Colorado is the biggest movement within the Colorado´s Party.

Horacio Cartes and Juan Afara (Presidency and Vice-Presidency) won the primaries becoming the Lista 1 - Colorado Party ticket for the National Presidential elections of 2013.

April 21, 2013 marked the return to power of the Colorado Party as Cartes' was elected by 45.8% of the final official vote-count. The Electoral Tribunal recognized the 2013 elections as one of the most transparent and most participated in the country's history.

On August 15th of 2013, Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara will become the President of the Republic of Paraguay for the next 5 years (2013-2018) as stipulated in the National Constitution.

Source: University Programs and Events Planning Resources, September 2013