by the El Reportero’s news services
Ferndando Lugo
The remaining conservative chiefs govern few nations
ASUNCION, PARAGUAY — The victory of the “bishop of the poor” in Paraguay’s presidential election expands a wave of leftist leadership across Latin America and further isolates the few remaining conservative governments.
Once Fernando Lugo is inaugurated on Aug. 15, the only right-leaning governments in Latin America will be Colombia, El Salvador and Mexico — and arguably Peru, where a left-leaning populist party has gradually edged to the right.
“The triumph of comrade Fernando Lugo is … yet another stone in the foundation of this new Latin America that is just, sovereign, independent — and why not, socialist,” Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa gushed during a visit from Argentina’s new leftist President Cristina Fernandez.
Hours after toppling the world’s longest-ruling party, Lugo repeated his distaste for labels: “I’m not of the left, nor of the right.”
But the former Roman Catholic bishop has said that Marxist-influenced liberation theology inspired his advocacy for the poor, and his victory clearly pushes Paraguay toward the left from the Colorado Party, which has ruled through dictatorship and democracy since 1947, including 35 years under brutal anticommunist Gen. Alfredo Stroessner.
Latin America’s leftward tilt began with the arrival of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez a decade ago, then continued with new presidents in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.
“Paraguay’s election is just further evidence that Latin America’s political geography has changed in basic ways,” said Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington based think tank.
That said, there’s a lot of political space between those leaders. Chavez has nationalized foreign companies and called President Bush the devil. Chile’s Michelle Bachelet is a great booster of free-trade who Bush calls “charming.”
Lugo, 56, may well find himself somewhere in between. His Patriotic Alliance for Change includes socialists, centrists and even conservatives, all of whom will be fighting for a voice in his government.
He said Monday that his top priority will be to help Indians mired in poverty.
(Associated Press and AFP contributed to these reports).
