^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Paraguay - Flag Laws

Paraguay / Paraguái; Republic of Paraguay; República del Paraguay

English Translation of the July 2013 Decree

The decree was published online at presidencia.gov and it includes RGB and Pantone specifications for the seals.
Zachary Harden, 18 July 2013

A translation of the decree:

Decree No. 11,400 of 15 July 2013
Establishing the regulation on the design and use of the flag of the Republic*, of the national coat of arms** and of the national seal, in agreement with the Resolution of 25 November 1842 of the Sovereign Congress General Extraordinary, abrogating Decrees No. 26,506 of 30 April 1957 and 23,136 of 26 February 1926.

Article 1.
The national symbols prescribed in this Decree are those included in Paragraph 1 of Article 139 of the National Constitution and in its final Paragraph, based on those of the National Law originating in Resolution of 25 November 1842 of the Sovereign Congress General Extraordinary.

Article 2.
Flag of the Republic*. The flag of the Republic shall be the symbol made of the Paraguayan flag charged with its two coat of arms, placed in the center of the white stripe, on the obverse and reverse, respectively, in the design prescribed by Article 1 of the Resolution of 25 November 1842 of the Sovereign Congress General Extraordinary, whose text says: "The Sovereign Congress General Extraordinary of the Republic of Paraguay solemnly declares that the flag of the Republic shall be the same as the one used by the country, with adequate variations, that is, a flag made of three horizontal stripes coloured in white and blue. On the one side is placed the national coat of arms with palm and olive [branches] interlaced in base and surrounding a star. In the border the lettering 'República del Paraguay'. On the opposed side, a circle with the lettering 'Paz y Justicia' [Peace and Justice], and in the center a lion ensigned with the symbol of liberty".

Article 3.
It is established, for the purpose of education and historical commemoration, that the flag of the Republic* was hoisted for the first time on 15 August 1812, the date of origin of its definitive colours.

Article 4.
The size of each copy of the flag shall be determined by the type of use of the flag and adjusted to the support and to the space where the flag will be shown, always keeping harmony in proportions, visualization, and contrast.

Article 5.
Flag*.The flag shall be made of three horizontal stripes of equal dimensions. The geometric proportion of its design and production should be kept as closest as possible to 1:0.55*** between the rectangle's bigger and smaller dimensions. The red colour, as well as the blue colour, shall be kept as so-called "primary colours", that is, without admixture with other colours.

Article 6.
National coat of arms**. The representations of the national coat of arms shall be in circular geometric shape, excluding other colours than the natural colours of the charges. Obverse. Inscribed with the lettering 'República del Paraguay' in black letters, placed on a ring without background colour [white], of height equal to 1/12 of the circle surrounding the coat of arms. The branches of palm and olive, in their natural colour, shall be interlaced in base and curved in proportion required by the ring. The five-pointed star, of yellow colour, shall be placed in the geometric center, without bordering circle.
Reverse. Inscribed with the writing 'Paz y Justicia' in black letters, placed on a ring without background colour [white], of height equal to 1/12 of the circle surrounding the coat of arms, of 135 degrees in circumference, centered on the upper part. The representation of the lion, in its natural colour, shall be made in sitting position, in profile, looking to the viewer's right, in a roaring pose, and with the tail raised, waving and surpassing, located on the flank of its back end. The lance shall be placed behind the lion, on the vertical diameter, with a proportional width, and be surmounted in its upper end by the red Phrygian cap, as the symbol of liberty.
The referred coats of arms shall be adjusted in a precise manner to the colours and characteristics detailed and established in the Appendix, which is an integral part of this Decree.

Article 7.
National seal. It is meant by "national seal" the one described in Article 3 of Resolution of 25 November 1842 of the Sovereign Congress General Extraordinary, which bears the lettering 'Rep˙blica del Paraguay' in black letters, placed on a ring without background colour [white], of height equal to 1/12 of the circle. The branches of palm and olive, in their natural colour, shall be interlaced in base and curved in proportion required by the ring. The five-pointed star, of yellow colour, shall be placed in the geometric center, without bordering circle.
The national seal shall be adjusted in a precise manner to the colours and characteristics detailed and established in the Appendix, which is an integral part of this Decree.

Article 8.
The national coats of arms and the nation seal may be reproduced, in relief or not, on any kind of support, printed in black or in colours.

Article 9.
Patriotic colours. It is meant by "patriotic colours" any combination of the red, white and blue colours intended to evoke the national flag. The use of the patriotic colours and of the national flag is free, provided it has a licit goal and does not contradict the symbolic values conveyed to the Paraguayan homeland. Its use in commercial advertizing shall be particularly respectful of these conditions.

Article 10.
The patriotic colours, as well as the flag, cannot be registered as intellectual property.

Article 11.
The natural persons and legal entities that produce or manufacture flags and other stuff inspired by the patriotic symbols, or alluding in any manner to their meaning, shall comply with the prescriptions of the current norms and with the details given in this Administrative Act.

Article 12.
On the days solemnly proclaimed over all the Republic, the flag shall be hoisted, at full or half staff, in case of festival or mourning, respectively, on the seats of the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary Powers, as well as on public buildings and seats of the diplomatic and consular representations of Paraguay. All the Paraguayan aircrafts and ships shall bear the flag of the Republic and use it in compliance with the relevant Laws and Regulations.

Article 13.

The flag of the Republic shall be hoisted daily on the seats of the national public institutions, as well as on the private educational institutions, military and police units and vessels.

Article 14. The Ministry of Education and Culture is committed to adopt the measures required to go deeper into the teaching of the history and meaning of the national symbols in all the institutions part of the National Education System.

Article 15. The Ministry of the Interior is committed as the authority in charge of the application of this Decree; it shall maintain an archive of the natural persons and legal entities professionally committed to the production of patriotic symbols for the State and private use, and shall make sure that the present prescriptions are respected.

Article 16.
The substitution of the national symbols currently in used that would not comply with the norms prescribed in this document shall be proceeded within 90 days after the publication of this Decree in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Paraguay.

Article 17.
Decrees No. 26,506 of 30 April 1957 and 23,136 of 26 February 1926 are abrogated.

Article 18.
The ministries in charge of the Executive, the Secretariat General and the Executive Secretariats of the Presidency of the Republic, as well as the organisms depending on the Executive, are instructed to apply the present Decree.

Article 19.
The present Decree shall be countersigned by the Minister of the Interior.

Article 20.
To be publicly communicated and inserted in the Official Register.

Appendix
The Appendix shows images of the coats of arms and of the seals, with the name of their elements and colours.
The colours are prescribed as follows:
- Red [Phrygian cap] Pantone 485 C CMYK (%) 0-100-100-0 RGB 237-28-36
- Yellow [Star] Pantone Yellow C CMYK (%) 0-0-100-0 RGB 255-241-8
- Green [Branches]0 Pantone 355 C CMYK (%) 100-0-100-0 RGB 0-166-81
- Brown [Lance] Pantone 478 C CMYK (%) 40-65-100-0 RGB 136-83-33
- Ochre [Lion] Pantone 4505 C CMYK (%) 35-30-100-0 RGB 178-163-54
- Black [Lettering] Pantone Black C CMYK (%) 0-0-0-100 RGB 0-0-0
The font for the lettering is prescribed as Arial Black."

Translator's Footnotes:

*The Spanish text makes a difference between "pabellón de la República", which I have translated as "flag of the Republic" and I understand as "State flag", and "bandera", which I have translated as "flag".
**The Spanish text uses "escudos", which I have translated by "coat of arms" rather than "shields".
***This odd ratio appears to be erroneous.
****There is no image of the flag anywhere in the Decree, nor colour specifications but "primary colours" (Art. 5)

Translated by Ivan Sache, 24 July 2013