Leftist former bishop set for victory in Paraguay election

[Die Neue Zeit]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/18/1


A former Catholic bishop popular with the poor is favoured to win Paraguay's presidential election on Sunday and sweep away six decades of one-party rule.

Opinion polls give Fernando Lugo a narrow lead, which could be enough to usher him in as the newest member of Latin America's "pink tide" of leftist governments.

The bearded 57-year-old heads the Patriotic Alliance for Change, a coalition of centre and centre-left opposition parties, grassroots political movements, farmers groups and other social organisations.

The Colorado party, the world's longest-ruling party still in power, has responded to the mood for change by fielding a female candidate, Blanca Ovelar.

The first woman to run for the top job, she has closed the gap and could snatch victory to join Chile's Michelle Bachelet and Argentina's Cristina Kirchener as another South American female head of state.

A poll by Coin published in the newspaper Ultima Hora gave Lugo 34.5% and Ovelar, a teacher-turned education minister, 29.5%. A third candidate, Lino Oviedo, a retired army general, polled 28.9%. There is just one round and whoever is first past the post wins.

For a landlocked, rural country long considered a sleepy backwater it has been a colourful and bitterly fought election that has echoed leftist surges in Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

The Colorado candidate is little more than an improved version of the Venezuela beauty pageant who got beaten by Chavez. Both women, along with Clinton, were/are merely symbols of the utter fraudulence of the oligarchical status quo (bourgeois feminism as a cover for oligarchical business as usual).

[Die Neue Zeit]

Paraguay ruling-party candidate concedes to ex-bishop (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080421/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/paraguay_election;_ylt=AvZYy1GM64baFtO1Rg4vokW3IxI F)


The ruling-party candidate in Paraguay's presidential election has conceded to defeat, signaling the end of six decades of one-party rule and handing victory to former Roman Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo.

Blanca Ovelar says Lugo has built an unassailable lead and that the outcome of Sunday's election is now "irreversible."

Elections officials are reporting that with 70 percent of polling sites counted, Lugo has 40 percent of the vote, Ovelar 32 percent and former army chief Lino Oviedo 22 percent.

News of the Lugo win has sent thousands of his euphoric supporters into the streets of Asuncion in a massive celebration. Lugo, dubbed the "bishop of the poor," has vowed to help Paraguay's poor and indigenous.

Lugo, Ex Bishop, Wins Paraguay Presidential Election (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=awsrXB0ngE9k&refer=home)


Fernando Lugo, a former Roman Catholic bishop, won Paraguay's presidential election, ending 61 years of rule by the Colorado Party in the landlocked South American country, according to preliminary official results.

Lugo, who heads the Patriotic Alliance for Change, won 40.3 percent of the votes. Blanca Ovelar, a candidate for the Colorado Party, the party with the longest period in power in the world, was second with 31.2 percent and former General Lino Oviedo was third with 21.9 percent, according to the results from 62.2 percent of polling stations, the Election Court said on its Web site. The candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of the margin of victory.

``Most of Paraguay's citizens are now responsible for the change that is starting so that the country won't be remembered just for its corruption and poverty but for its honesty,'' Lugo said at a news conference in Asuncion. ``Today we have written a new page in the country's political history.''

All three leading candidates have promised to lower a poverty rate of almost 36 percent in the country of 6.1 million people. Campaign debates have also centered on demands that Brazil and Argentina pay more for energy generated at Paraguay's hydroelectric dams.

[Schrödinger's Cat]

I hesitantly await for people to call him a "Leftist heretic," or "liberal element masquarading around with red fleece."

As for me, I find this is very good news! Again all Latin Americans should be proud. :) Does anyone know where I can find a link to his policy positions?

[Bud Struggle]

I hesitantly await for people to call him a "Leftist heretic," or "liberal element masquarading around with red fleece."

As for me, I find this is very good news! Again all Latin Americans should be proud. :) Does anyone know where I can find a link to his policy positions?


I kind of like it too. Believe it or not, Capitalists aren't generally in favor of right-wing fascist dictators.

[Joby]

I kind of like it too. Believe it or not, Capitalists aren't generally in favor of right-wing fascist dictators.

Speak for yourself. I'm gonna have to take that "Paraguay" pennent down that's hanging on my wall :D

Just kidding, this is great for the people of Paraguay I suppose.

[Bud Struggle]

Speak for yourself. I'm gonna have to take that "Paraguay" pennent down that's hanging on my wall :D

Just kidding, this is great for the people of Paraguay I suppose.

Yea, it's "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

[MarxSchmarx]

Does anyone know where I can find a link to his policy positions?


Man even has a freaking BLOG:

http://fernandolugo.blogspot.com/

where much of his policies are outlined (en Spanish, of course)

[Die Neue Zeit]

^^^ So does Iran's Ahmadinejad ;)

[Seriously, blogs by active politicians are much better than archaic "radio addresses" that nobody listens to.]

[Robert]

archaic "radio addresses" that nobody listens to

You'll listen to mine after I become the Dearest Leader. I will place loudspeakers throughout the work camps, so you really won't have any choice in the matter.

I learned this trick from Kim Jung Il, aka "Little Shit."

[Social Nationalist Warrior]

hes no MARXIST, but good first stop! south america is moving more and more left and thge bourgeois is trembling! :)

always good roots in south america for revolution, strong national identity and heritage. people are fighting back against multicultural bouregeoius globalization and international money.

MARXISM is on the horizon i Think! :)

For MARXIST REVOLUTION!
For THE FOURTH WAY!
WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!

[Bud Struggle]

hes no MARXIST, but good first stop! south america is moving more and more left and thge bourgeois is trembling! :)

always good roots in south america for revolution, strong national identity and heritage. people are fighting back against multicultural bouregeoius globalization and international money.

MARXISM is on the horizon i Think! :)

For MARXIST REVOLUTION!
For THE FOURTH WAY!
WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!

NO not really. The Marxism thing was a fad of the 20th Century, but the fuedal-fascism that has been going on in South America for the last couple of hundred years is definitely comming to an end. And not a second to soon.

There is nothing good or Capitalist about a few rich families controling a country while the vast majority of the people live in poverty. Capitalism needs markets and starving people make very poor purchasers of goods and services.

These countries need to be brought into the global economy as producers and consumers. It will be good for everyone.

[Robert]

There is nothing good or Capitalist about a few rich families controling a country while the vast majority of the people live in poverty.

Tom, we know that there are pockets, in some cases broad swathes, of American society that fit that very description. It's hard to convince a poor father in Appalachia or Mississippi that all is for the best in the best of possible worlds when he has to watch rich kids sporting around in new threads and shiny convertibles, especially if his own kids have nothing. Food stamps keep them all alive, yes. But does the capitalist even favor the idea of food stamps?

I understand that the money for the convertible went to pay wages of those who built it, but those workers are often in Japan or Korea. Communism doesn't work, or hasn't so far. Progressive taxation is problematic for reasons you know. What's left? Charity? Social Darwinism? How would Pope Benedict answer the poor black man in Mississippi?

[Bud Struggle]

Tom, we know that there are pockets, in some cases broad swathes, of American society that fit that very description. It's hard to convince a poor father in Appalachia or Mississippi that all is for the best in the best of possible worlds when he has to watch rich kids sporting around in new threads and shiny convertibles, especially if his own kids have nothing. Food stamps keep them all alive, yes. But does the capitalist even favor the idea of food stamps?

I understand that the money for the convertible went to pay wages of those who built it, but those workers are often in Japan or Korea. Communism doesn't work, or hasn't so far. Progressive taxation is problematic for reasons you know. What's left? Charity? Social Darwinism? How would Pope Benedict answer the poor black man in Mississippi?

No Robert, what works best is what we have here in America. Equal opportunity. Yea, it's not perfect. Yea, it's not the same for everyone but I was raised a poor son of Polish immigrants who never really learned to speak English, and I found the Economy in America to be pretty open to my ideas as long as it made someone some money.

I'm a Capitalist, but I do think that to REALLY be Capitalist one has to have an open market of ideas and the one that's best wins. There are two real common denominator in all this is: education. As long as we have a good educational system in this country (world) and kids are educated decently then the rest is easy--the best will rise to the top. And Equality. Everyone should get a fair shot. Black, white, gay, not spo gay--EVERYONE should have an fair chance to get to the top.

America is great because of guys like Bill Gates--a nobody from no where that had an idea that people bought.

As far as the Pope goes the Catholic Church has has a pretty consistant record over the last century in asserting fairness for all working people (WAY to conservative for the Commies here, but much in line with reality.) The Church says that working people should be treated with respect and dignity and that they should receive a living wage for the work they do. And they should be given work. Society should be open enough to make sure all people have gainful employment.

The United States does a pretty fair job of doing all of this--it could do better.

[Faux Real]

America is great because of guys like Bill Gates--a nobody from no where that had an idea that people bought.He knew how to buyout up and coming software developers, granting him a monopoly. It's not a new idea at all.

[Bud Struggle]

He knew how to buyout up and coming software developers, granting him a monopoly. It's not a new idea at all.

So far over the last 100 years the Middle east has had ONE IDEA--SELL OIL.

Beyond that Jihad and nothing. A bankrupt community if there ever was one.

[RGacky3]

I kind of like it too. Believe it or not, Capitalists aren't generally in favor of right-wing fascist dictators.

Historically, the United States and other Imperialistic states definately prefer a right-wing dictator to a democracy with a good chance of Socializing, thus the trembling and fear the western elite have over Latin Americas slight left turn,

Interestingly I think, in Latin America, the people have been leaning left for a long time, just recently have the governments followed.


I'm a Capitalist, but I do think that to REALLY be Capitalist one has to have an open market of ideas and the one that's best wins. There are two real common denominator in all this is: education. As long as we have a good educational system in this country (world) and kids are educated decently then the rest is easy--the best will rise to the top. And Equality. Everyone should get a fair shot. Black, white, gay, not spo gay--EVERYONE should have an fair chance to get to the top.

You always need a lot of wage workers for Capitalism, it does'nt matter how good an education system there is, Capitalism needs workers, and it needs workers that are being being exploited so that Capitalists can profit from them. Even if there was a 100% equal oportunity, (Which we are far far far from and Under Capitalism never will reach), there will still be 10% lucky ones controlling 90%.

[Bud Struggle]

Historically, the United States and other Imperialistic states definately prefer a right-wing dictator to a democracy with a good chance of Socializing, thus the trembling and fear the western elite have over Latin Americas slight left turn,

True--but that was lagely because of the East-West chess game played between America and the Soviet Union. Now that there's no chance that the "Iron Curtain" will be falling over the Free World, I think that American will be turning more towards supporting a more balanced political foreign policy in the region.


You always need a lot of wage workers for Capitalism, it does'nt matter how good an education system there is, Capitalism needs workers, and it needs workers that are being being exploited so that Capitalists can profit from them. Even if there was a 100% equal oportunity, (Which we are far far far from and Under Capitalism never will reach), there will still be 10% lucky ones controlling 90%.

I kind of think the "wage workers" is a product of 20th century economics. Capitalism has moved past that kind of "workers in the factory" kind of economic plan. Capitalists are interested in selling anything to anyone that has the money--of late intellectual property and intellectual workers seem to be of much more value than mill workers. And intellectual workers are treated pretty well. They may not (according to the Comminist formula) be getting full value for their work--but they do have high job satisfaction and live pretty well and will be unlikely to complain about their station in life.

That's why I really don't see any revolutions forthcomming.

[Raúl Duke]

I kind of like it too. Believe it or not, Capitalists aren't generally in favor of right-wing fascist dictators.

Actually I thought I saw in my RSS feed a sympathetic article towards this politician from The Economist...

hmm...something's up?

:confused::huh::glare:

[RGacky3]

True--but that was lagely because of the East-West chess game played between America and the Soviet Union. Now that there's no chance that the "Iron Curtain" will be falling over the Free World, I think that American will be turning more towards supporting a more balanced political foreign policy in the region.

It was'nt different before the cold war, and it is'nt different after the cold war, American policy about leftist (be it anarchistic, democratic, or authoritarian) movements have pretty much been constant, the cold war put aside.


I kind of think the "wage workers" is a product of 20th century economics. Capitalism has moved past that kind of "workers in the factory" kind of economic plan. Capitalists are interested in selling anything to anyone that has the money--of late intellectual property and intellectual workers seem to be of much more value than mill workers. And intellectual workers are treated pretty well. They may not (according to the Comminist formula) be getting full value for their work--but they do have high job satisfaction and live pretty well and will be unlikely to complain about their station in life.

Your looking at things very narrowly, from a very western oriented viewpoint, look at it from a worldwide view point (Which you have to do since Capitalism is global) things hav'nt changed much overall. That being said, wage slavery is wage slavery, be it in a factory or a cubicle. Also most all of the economy boils down to tangible goods, even though a minority (as far as I or you know, it could very well be the majority) are involved with the actual production.


That's why I really don't see any revolutions forthcomming.

Maybe not in florida :P.