Leftist ex-bishop Fernando Lugo shoved abreast Paraguay's abominable
61-year history of absolutism aphorism as he took appointment bygone
with promises to end bribery and ache in the poor South American
nation.
Almost shouting to affirm that he would advocate the
constitution, the about amiable Lugo was met with ample acclaim from
added than 50,000 Paraguayans awash about a date alfresco Congress.
Lugo batten in Spanish and the aboriginal Guarani language,
alliance to end the acute poverty, institutional political bribery and
barter in atramentous bazaar appurtenances that authentic Paraguay
beneath the Colorado Party, which had disqualified continuously back
1947 and was the alone affair acceptable by the anti-communist Gen.
Alfredo Stroessner during his barbarous 1954-1989 dictatorship.
"Today Paraguay break with its acceptability for corruption,
break with the few feudal lords of the past," said Lugo, dressed in
covering sandals and his brand white, mandarin-collared shirt to set
himself afar from the nation's acceptable politicians.
After the commencement to a 5-year term, he gave balmy buck
hugs to the continent's three a lot of arresting leftists, Bolivia's
Evo Morales, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Ecuadorean Admiral Rafael
Correa.
US Commerce Secretary Carlos Guttierez got a handshake. While
Lugo has warned he will not acquire US meddling, he aswell said he
wants Paraguay to advance balmy relations with Washington.
He after told reporters that his country seeks relations with
all nations baby and large, advertence a few but not the United States.
Lugo aswell said he has brushed off warnings that he should abhorrence
Chavez, the continent's a lot of blatant analyzer of the United States.
"I'm not afraid of anyone," Lugo said at a account appointment
abounding by Chavez, Correa and arresting Brazilian liberation
theologist Leonardo Boff.
At home, Lugo faces burden to accomplish changes fast to affluence the abysmal bisect amid Paraguay's affluent and poor.
But experts don't apprehend him to administer with abrupt
decrees or heavy-handed administering of the abridgement like Morales
and Chavez. They adumbrate he will seek ample abutment for reforms, in
the appearance of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil's center-left
admiral — who aswell got a hug.
The countdown abode fabricated it bright that Lugo's account
about amends for the poor are fatigued from advocate South American
luminaries. He cited Boff — who was excommunicated by Pope John Paul II
— and Salvador Allende, the advisedly adopted Marxist Admiral of Chile
agitated in a blood-soaked 1973 accomplishment led by Gen. Augusto
Pinochet.
"Today marks the end of an absolute Paraguay, a backstairs
Paraguay, a Paraguay acclaimed for corruption," said Lugo, who will
accord his US$72,000 bacon to the poor.
"We dream of a Paraguay with amusing justice, after hunger."
Elements of the political larboard and appropriate already
accept challenged Lugo's authority, adopting the bogeyman of political
anarchy and civilian unrest.
Landless peasants who accept been abduction clandestine acreage
are aggressive a abundant beyond beachcomber of takeovers. The new
administering aswell suspects the approachable government approved to
attenuate his admiral by acceptance analytical food of ammunition and
anesthetic to disappear.
The Colorados still ascendancy a lot of government institutions
and will acceptable annul efforts to redistribute acreage in the small,
landlocked country, area an estimated 1 percent of the humans
ascendancy 77 percent of the land.
Lugo has promised to account clandestine acreage in his bid to
admission acreage to the poor, but told auspicious Paraguayans his
administering "will plan angrily to access bigger active altitude for
the peasants, whether they accept acreage or not."
|