▁February ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁Alfred o ▁St ro ess ner ▁of ▁the ▁Colorado ▁Party ▁won ▁the ▁president ial ▁elections , ▁whilst ▁the ▁Colorado ▁Party ▁won ▁ 2 0 ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 0 ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁Senate ▁and ▁ 4 0 ▁of ▁the ▁ 6 0 ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Deput ues . ▁V oter ▁turn out ▁was ▁ 9 2 . 2 %. ▁ ▁These ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁elections ▁held ▁since ▁St ro ess ner ▁nomin ally ▁lifted ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁sie ge ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁The ▁state ▁of ▁sie ge ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁force ▁since ▁he ▁took ▁office ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁opposition ▁leaders ▁were ▁arbitr arily ▁arrested , ▁and ▁opposition ▁meet ings ▁and ▁demonstr ations ▁were ▁broken ▁up — o ften ▁brut ally . ▁By ▁election ▁day , ▁the ▁only ▁independent ▁media ▁out lets ▁that ▁hadn ' t ▁been ▁shut ▁down ▁were ▁those ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church . ▁ ▁As ▁it ▁turned ▁out , ▁these ▁were ▁the ▁last ▁elections ▁under ▁St ro ess ner , ▁who ▁had ▁won ▁every ▁election ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote , ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁over th rown ▁in ▁a ▁coup ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁F resh ▁elections ▁were ▁held ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁the ▁opposition ▁had ▁been ▁able ▁to ▁contest ▁elections ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁un m ol ested