▁Supreme ▁Court , ▁he ▁accused ▁St ro ess ner ▁of ▁running ▁a ▁police ▁state , ▁and ▁claimed ▁that ▁" im post ers " ▁had ▁taken ▁over ▁the ▁party . ▁He ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁those ▁who ▁per sec uted ▁def ens eless ▁women ▁or ▁attacked ▁pri ests ▁were ▁not ▁really ▁Par agu ay ans , ▁let ▁alone ▁Color ados . ▁He ▁soon ▁emer ged ▁as ▁the ▁de ▁fact o ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁traditional ist ▁fa ction . ▁▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁election ▁as ▁Vice - Pres ident ▁Luis ▁Ar ga ña ▁served ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁important ▁national ▁positions ▁during ▁previous ▁administr ations ▁before ▁running ▁an ▁ultimately ▁un success ful ▁bid ▁for ▁president ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁election . ▁He ▁public ly ▁v owed ▁that ▁if ▁elected , ▁he ▁would ▁allow ▁St ro ess ner ▁to ▁return ▁from ▁ex ile . ▁Although ▁leading ▁opinion ▁pol ling ▁at ▁one ▁point , ▁he ▁lost ▁the ▁Colorado ▁Party ▁primary . ▁ ▁He ▁tried ▁again ▁to ▁obtain ▁the ▁party ' s ▁president ial ▁nom ination ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁election , ▁losing ▁in ▁a ▁bitter ly ▁cont ested ▁primary ▁election ▁against ▁General ▁L ino ▁O v ied o . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁General ' s ▁invol vement ▁in ▁a ▁failed ▁coup ▁attempt ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁O v ied o ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁general ▁election . ▁ ▁O v ied o ' s ▁running ▁mate , ▁Ra úl