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Paraguayans glued to presidential paternity scandal
Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:45pm EDT
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By Kevin Gray
ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguayans are transfixed over a real-life soap opera set in the presidential palace: paternity claims by three women against bishop-turned-president Fernando Lugo.
The president, once known as the "bishop of the poor" but now seen as something of a playboy, stunned Paraguayans two weeks ago by admitting he had fathered a child while he was a Roman Catholic bishop. The acknowledgment came after the mother filed a paternity suit.
Since then, two other women have come forward with similar claims and Lugo, instead of denying them, asked the nation to forgive him.
The scandal has proved fodder for a torrent of e-mail jokes circulating in Asuncion, and even a popular song whose title is "Lugaucho" _ a wordplay on Lugo's name and gaucho, Paraguayan slang for playboy.
One newspaper cartoon poked fun at the issue, showing presidential security guards pushing a baby stroller for triplets. Some jokes take aim at Lugo breaking his celibacy vows, but apparently respecting church rules against condoms.
Radio and TV talk shows buzz with the latest rumors, some suggesting Lugo may have even more children.
Many Paraguayans chuckle when asked about the scandal. But some express disillusionment with Lugo, who swept to office as a political outsider last year, ending more than 60 years of one-party rule in one of the world's most corrupt countries.
"We thought we'd finally found the answer to fix our broken political system," said Jorge Giminez, a 34-year-old bus driver. "Who can you trust if you can't trust a bishop?"
Others voiced support for the president, dismissing the uproar as orchestrated by the Colorado party that Lugo ousted from power and many Paraguayans blame for the country's corruption.
"Why is this coming out now?" asked Rafael Quiroz, a mechanic. "The Colorados want to undermine him."
Polls show Lugo's popularity has fallen to below 50 percent from nearly 70 percent before the scandal. But most analysts say it is unlikely to seriously damage his government because of Paraguay's macho culture.
PRESIDENTIAL APOLOGY
On Friday, Lugo, 57, apologized for the scandal in an attempt to move forward. His lawyers, he said, were dealing with the claims submitted by the second and third women.
One woman, Benigna Leguizamon, a poor, 27-year-old soap vendor, wants child support for her 6-year-old son who she said Lugo had fathered.
Another woman, Damiana Hortensia Moran, 39, has defended the president and initially said she did not intend to sue him. But she hinted she may change her mind after the president has so far failed to recognize her son, who is one-and-a-half years old. Continued...
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