In Paraguay, Leftist Elected To Presidency

In Paraguay,
Leftist Elected
To Presidency
By MATT MOFFETT
April 21, 2008; Page A7

A former Roman Catholic bishop triumphed over the long-ruling party in Paraguay's presidential election to become the latest in a series of Latin American leftist leaders.

With nearly 90% of polling places tallied in the Sunday election, the former bishop, Fernando Lugo, had 40.8% of the vote compared with 30.8% for Blanca Ovelar, of the Colorado Party, which has governed Paraguay the past 61 years. Ms. Ovelar, a former education minister who had sought to become Paraguay's first female president, conceded defeat late Sunday night. Ex-army general Lino Oviedo was a distant third with 22% of the vote.

Paraguay's economy has posted solid growth in recent years, largely because of strong international prices for the country's soybeans. But a public sector plagued by inefficiency and corruption has kept the benefits from trickling down to the poor.

Mr. Lugo, 56 years old, who was known as "the Bishop of the Poor" before resigning in 2005, has pledged to crack down on corruption and channel Paraguay's wealth into social programs. While some of his rhetoric has raised concerns in the business community, analysts say that Paraguay's circumstances likely impel Mr. Lugo toward the governing model of pragmatic Latin leftist leaders, such as Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, rather than more radical ones, such as Venezuela's Hugo Chávez.

"If Lugo wants to be a Chávez-type leader, he's not going to be able to do that as easily as Chávez himself did," said Javier Corrales, a political scientist at Amherst College. Mr. Corrales noted that even in defeat, Ms. Ovelar's Colorado Party will remain a powerful force in Congress and a constraint on Mr. Lugo's power. Also, Paraguay lacks the cash cow of extensive oil or gas reserves, which Mr. Chávez and populist counterparts in Bolivia and Ecuador have used to fund social programs.

Mr. Lugo has trained much of his toughest campaign rhetoric on Brazil. Mr. Lugo says he wants to renegotiate the electricity sales contract for the mammoth Itaipu dam project, which Paraguay and Brazil operate jointly, to increase Paraguay's revenue.

The election has also focused a spotlight on the so-called brasiguayos, the estimated 350,000 Brazilians who live in Paraguay and who have had success as soybean planters. Mr. Lugo's pledge to undertake a land-overhaul program has the transplanted Brazilians nervous that they will be scapegoated by Paraguayan nationalists.

By tejasmarcos on Apr 21, 07:09 in Off Topic.

slguy says on Apr 21, 08:58:

watching how this develops oughta be interesting

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

kalder says on Apr 21, 12:46:

They had loony rightism for long enough. Can't blame them for wanting a change.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

Tinto (Moderator) says on Apr 21, 13:16:

Lugo, Hugo and Evo... reminds me of Larry, Curly and Moe of "The Three Stooges." Evo even looks like one of them.
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miamimike says on Apr 21, 19:45:

Tinto--you should have included a Picture of GW Bush in the above Triology; as it is now, its incomplete without their Ringleader Dubya. Take your Pick from the Below Link,,,LOL

http://bushorchimp.com/

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —President George W. Bush,