by JOHN CHERIAN
Interview with President Fernando Lugo of Paraguay.
Fernando Lugo made history in Latin America when he was elected President of Paraguay in April 2008, ending more than six decades of right-wing authoritarian rule. Lugo is no ordinary politician. He received his initial baptism in politics as a serving Roman Catholic priest working with impoverished peasants in the jungles of Ecuador. He became an adherent of liberation theology as a young priest. Liberation theology interprets Christian ethics from the perspective of the poor and the oppressed. Lugo had risen to the position of a bishop before leaving the Church in December 2006. His aim, he had said at the time, was to change Paraguay’s reputation as “the country of drug trafficking, corruption and illegality”. The Vatican first refused Lugo permission to leave the Church but later granted his wish, albeit reluctantly. Pope Benedict XVI issued an “unprecedented waiver”. The Vatican, especially under the current pope, is known to be against priests engaging in political activism.
In the general election held in April 2008, Lugo, the flag-bearer of a coalition of opposition parties, won the presidency. The “pink tide” that was sweeping Latin America had reached Paraguay. Lugo’s ascendency to the presidency came in the wake of victories notched up by other left-wing Presidents in the region. Although President Lugo has been identified with the Left, he has taken care to distance himself from more radical leaders in the region, such as Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Evo Morales of Bolivia and Rafael Correa of Ecuador. Lugo’s style of functioning has been closer to that of former Brazilian President Lula da Silva.
Lugo was in India from May 23 to 25 on an official visit, the first ever by a Paraguayan President since diplomatic relations were established 50 years ago. He took time off from his busy schedule to talk to Frontline on a wide array of issues. Excerpts from the interview.
What is the main agenda of your visit to Asia?
I am visiting five countries in Asia. In Latin America, we feel that this is the century of Latin America in Asia in all senses, encompassing the economic, cultural and diplomatic scenarios. We have many things in common, including our stance on climate change and the environment.
How are relations between India and Paraguay?
In the last five years, we have multiplied the volume of trade five times. Paraguay is a small country. We are just six million citizens. It is like a small city of India. Our economy has done well in recent years. A country of six million has produced enough food for 60 million inhabitants of the world. We had an economic growth of 15.3 per cent last year. After Qatar and Singapore, Paraguay is in the third place now. We have created an investment climate in our country.
We feel that Asian and Latin American countries can have a very beneficial commercial relationship. There is a lot of complementarity. Asia and India have developed a lot technologically, while Paraguay and Latin America have a lot to offer in the field of agriculture and the production of food.
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