Paraguay has been called the least-known country in Latin America, an island surrounded by land, and the South American Tibet. For many years, foreign writers and journalists described it as an enigmatic land where a peculiar people endured calamities and Nazis sought refuge.

Tomas Mandl spent three and a half years (2016-2020) traveling through Paraguay as a political analyst with the U.S. Embassy, meeting with the country’s leading minds and sifting through reams of data. Drawing on his experience and more than 40 interviews with historians, political scientists, economists, journalists and diplomats, this book provides a timely assessment of modern Paraguay’s strengths, challenges and developmental outlook, and their implications for the world.