“After 60 years in power, Paraguay’s ruling Colorado Party was pushed aside April 20 by a charismatic former Catholic bishop promising economic and political reform and power to the people. The election of Fernando Lugo as Paraguay’s new president was hailed by an official of America’s left-leaning Center for Economic and Policy Research as a sign of the ‘deep and irreversible … changes sweeping Latin America.’ But ‘change’ doesn’t always mean change for the better. And only time will tell whether Mr. Lugo will pursue an independent new course that improves conditions in the poverty-stricken nation of 6.5 million, or follow other recent populist politicians who, in the name of change, have curbed individual liberties and strangled their economies.” (05/08/08)