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Paraguay Inaugurates a Leftist President

By Austin Thompson - Aug 15th, 2008 at 4:39 pm

Another victory for the spread of economic democracy in Latin America may be on the horizon in Paraguay. Today, the small South American country formally inaugurated former priest Fernando Lugo as its next president, ending 60 years of right-wing rule by the Colorado Party. Lugo is known for his vocal support for the countries poor, who have long been neglected by corrupt political leaders. The inauguration was attended by other leftist leaders, including Bolivia’s Evo Morales, himself fresh off a recent referendum victory over U.S.-supported opposition parties there.

One of Fernando Lugo’s first acts as president will likely be to begin the process of land reform in Paraguay. Recently, landless peasants in Paraguay have been seizing private property and land from rich farmers. Like other Latin American countries, Paraguay’s wealth and political power is highly concentrated in the hands of a few elites. Ironically, it is alleged in the Latin American press that President Bush himself purchased a large ranch in northern Paraguay.

It remains to be seen whether the election of Fernando Lugo will be another setback to the State Department’s foreign policy in Latin America. The trend of left-leaning executives using political power to check economic power has angered the Bush Administration. President Lugo will face an uphill battle if he chooses to significantly redistribute the country’s resources and root out corruption. The ex-bishop stated that it “won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible.”

Tags: Colorado Party, economy, Fernando Lugo, foreign policy, international, Latin America, Paraguay