Photo by Fernando Lugo APC Flickr Account. Used under Creative Commons license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/fernandolugoapc/3444612710/

Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es] makes a comparison with what happened years ago in the United States, when then-President Bill Clinton had an inappropriate and extra-marital relationship with Monica Lewinski. There are some who say that it was a personal and private relationship that did not affect the country's interests or did not have any consequences in the lives of the American citizens. Now that Lugo has come forward and will accept responsibility, he writes that the issue is closed for the Paraguayan people [es]. He adds that there are more serious acts committed by other politicians that should receive more ire from the Paraguayan citizens, and that the press should return to focusing on the “national agenda.”

However, since Paraguay is a predominantly Catholic country, many are disappointed in the fact that Lugo violated the clerical vows of celibacy, but to some self-described atheists like Liam of Políticamente Incorrecto [es], that is a non-issue. He also examines the reaction by many different sectors to this piece of news [es] both nationally and internationally:

Conjeturas van y conjeturas vienen, desde todos los ángulos y sectores, hay mujeres ofendidas y machistas alegres, hay colorados eyaculando de felicidad y liberales babeando por un juicio político, hay periodistas pagados que defienden y otros, los olvidados, que machacan como pueden. Hay de todo, y todos están hablando de lo mismo, de las relaciones sexuales del Presidente Lugo. Mientras tanto que pasa? Nada, lo de siempre, el país se sigue cayendo a pedazos.

On his blog Detrás del Papel [es], Jorge Torres Romero writes that Lugo unequivocally lied to the people:

Le estafó al pueblo. Se presentó como el candidato diferente, el candidato del cambio, de la honestidad y la ética. Pero al final resultó ser un gran mentiroso. Nos vendió (perdón, les vendió, porque yo no lo vote) la imagen del impoluto y hoy perdió ese único capital con el que construyó su candidatura: la credibilidad

The fact is that even thought this news was a shock and a big surprise for everybody, many feel that this should not shift the attention from what really matters for the Paraguayan people.

The first 100 days have passed since Paraguay’s elected President Fernando Lugo assumed power last August. Paraguayans were eager for a change, a change that had raised so many expectations from the new President, who was an ex-bishop and from his cabinet. Some bloggers took time to write about the first 100 days of Lugo's Presidency.

The blog Rescatar [es] compares the first 100 days of Lugo with a Pau D’arco tree (Tajy) saying that people expected to see the blooming flowers on the tree, but they have yet to see them.

No se han visto mucho los cambios pero se han sentido. Para situarlo en un plano botánico a fin de graficar lo que a nuestro juicio aconteció en estos primeros tres meses es que la gente quería ver al Tajy florecer y lo que hizo el árbol fue fortalecer sus raíces para prenderse más fuerte al suelo y evitar que los vientos que han comenzado a soplar lo tumben fácilmente.

Edgar Ruiz Diaz in his blog Las Preguntas de Venerando [es] decided to give Lugo and his Cabinet ratings from 1 to 10 for their 100 first days for their accomplishments.

Presidente Fernando Lugo: El viaje se constituyó en sinónimo de trabajo presidencial porque desde que asumió la Presidencia de la República todas las semanas utiliza uno o más aviones para trasladarse a ciudades del exterior o localidades del interior del país. Con su promesa de traer el cambio al país, transformó algunas modalidades de atención a la gente en ese sentido estableció Mburuvicha Roga como sitio de reuniones con sintechos y sintierras para discutir sobre invasiones. Por sus actitudes, el ex obispo parece haber pensado en serio que un vicepresidente se asemeja al florero sobre un escritorio y pese a sus desaciertos o errores creo que el Jefe de Estado puede mejorar y por eso mi calificación para él es cinco en este post.

Lopez Barrios of El blog de Lopez Barrios [es] says that so far, Lugo has tried to govern his country with pacifism, but things are not going according to plan.

Fernando Lugo según mi manera de ver ha tratado de llevar con cierto grado de pacifismo los rumbos de su patria, la verdad es que al día de la fecha las cosas ya no están pacificas… el caos reina por doquier… y aun cuando nos esforcemos en tener una mirada optimista, la urgente determinación sobre asuntos de seguridad de índole prioritaria brilla por su ausencia.

The first days of a new government is a short time to have a conclusive opinion of the government per se, but it is enough time to notice it flaws and its strengths, as many of the country's bloggers have done. There is no miracle, there is no secret, and it is a process. As any process, it takes time and with the right strategies a lot of hard work and perhaps a bit of luck, the new President is hoping that the country will overcome the flaws and make of this country a prosperous nation once again.

Many Paraguayan bloggers reacted to this situation and expressed their opinions. Daniel Ortiz in his blog, El Peaton [es] says that Paraguay not only deserved the record for beef consumption, but also for the worst organization:

Todo bicho que camina…” no solo se merecía el récord Guinness por consumo de carne, sino también por la desorganización. Los que asistieron a este evento solidario sabrán de lo que hablo, y los que no fueron, no saben de lo que se salvaron.

Rescatar [es] in his blog refers to the event with more objectivity and points out the positives and also the pitfalls of the organization saying that:

Se conquistó un record con todas las de la ley con un total de 26.175 kilos de carne. Sin embargo, la hazaña ha generado una ola de criticas a la desorganización debido que con más de 40 mil comensales, probablemente los recursos humanos y técnicos aportados al esfuerzo daban para atender con eficiencia a la mitad de los comensales.

Jorge Torres Romero says that instead of criticizing all the noble initiatives, we should emphasize the positive side and the success of the event [es]:

No basta maldecir en las tinieblas sino encender una luz”. Claro, nunca vamos a poder construir el Paraguay desde lo negativo. La experiencia vivida el domingo en la Rural fue positiva desde todo punto de vista y vale la pena resaltar: El mérito del éxito no es sólo de Humberto Rubín -si bien fue el artífice de la iniciativa-, sino de las 50 mil personas que acudieron movidos por un espíritu de solidaridad fenomenal.

An event like that needs to be very well planned well in advance, and I'm pretty sure that after this experience that next year the event will be better organized. Hopefully that way, we will be able to break our own record for the Guinness book. Even in spite of some complaints, there was an additional positive aspect, as the money collected went to two big Paraguayan foundations Kuña Aty and Asoleu.

Karen in her blog Karen in Paraguay talks about the excitement of riding on a Paraguayan bus:

A ride on a Paraguayan is so exciting that I’m shocked that I haven’t mentioned it here yet. First off, they are all private companies originating in whatever the bus’s destination town is. For example, Guarambaré has its own bus. Each bus is painted different colors, and a lot of them have Jesus stickers on the windshield and back window.

Mark in Paraguay says that he has already been in the country for 4 months, and that when he first arrived he had many expectations of Paraguay:

When my group and I first arrived to Paraguay all of us were really excited to be here and see what Paraguay was all about. Added to this excitement was the task that each of us had, that is the task of getting to know the other Americans with whom we would spend the next 2 years with. Although I say task, this turned out to be much easier and much more pleasurable then initially anticipated.

Paulita in her blog Real World: Paraguay mentions about her daily experiences in Paraguay and cultural differences between her life back home:

Here it’s normal to start eating before everyone sits down, to eat directly from the salad plate in the middle of the table, to wipe your mouth with the tablecloth. In the way we consider those things rude from our view, Paraguayans could see us as rude from their view. Here it’s rude to just flat out say no to an invitation. It’s rude to not greet everyone you see in the street. It’s rude to not share your glass.

As a Crop Extension Peace Corp Volunteer, Erin and her blog Getaway to Paraguay talks about her overall experience and her favorite part of this new experience:

Now for the food! For the most part I couldn´t be happier. It´s a lot of veggies, sandia (watermelon), mangoes, and of course… mandioca! The only thing is there is also a lot of oil and frying, which I hope maybe I can employ some different baking methods, etc. to help improve nutrition a bit. I also hope to introduce new recipes (which if anyone has good recipes you think would work well here- ie. cooking over a fire- please send them my way!). There is also a lot of meat, when people can afford it, and it´s a bit difficult to explain that I´d prefer the vegetables. Although the other day I did try blood sausage, and I still prefer the veg, but at least I tried it right!?

These are just some examples of experiences that some of the Peace Corps Volunteers are having in Paraguay, here are other current active blogs: The PY Chronicles: My Two Years in Peace Corps, Laara’s Paraguay Adventure, ¡Jahakatu a Paraguay! , Peace Corps ‘08 - ‘10 , and Becoming American.

Thumbnail photo by SMaurano

President-elect Fernando Lugo at the ABC Color Newspaper. Foto by Fernando Lugo campaign and used under Creative Commons license.

In addition, everything appeared to run smoothly without reports of chaos or violence. Obviously such big news wouldn't keep Paraguayan bloggers quiet, especially when it is the first time in more than 60 years that another party wins the presidiential elections. On top of it all, the winner was an ex-bishop, rather than a lifetime politician. Here are some additional blog reactions from Paraguay.

Juan Carlos Rojas in his blog called Oasis Liberario [es] says that he is not very optimistic about these new changes:

No soy tan optimista de que las cosas cambiarán en cinco años de forma radical y para mejor; pero si soy optimista en el sentido de que si Lugo tiene en mente seguir el modelo Chavista, las cosas no le irán tan bien, puesto que el Congreso está conformado por los sectores más conservadores de la sociedad y es por donde deben pasar los proyectos del monseñor – presidente.

Luz in her blog called Relatos y Sueños [es] talks about her hope that the new President knows what people expect from him and his new government group: honesty and a way to raise the pride of Paraguayans once again. She also hopes for less fanatics and more social work to elevate the self confidence of many Paraguayans abroad, so that they can return home.

Luis Bareiro on his blog Macondo News [es] tells us about his feelings about what is like finally defeating “the enemy.”

and says that his youth he spent fighting for the future with many on his side but they didn't succeed before, but they kept fighting because they knew they would win and that someday it would be defeated… in his words: We won, We won, We won, today is my glory day…don't doubt that im enjoying like a tiny that has defeated a giant perverse and inhuman ….

Mi juventud pasó, luchando por el futuro, con muchos otros al lado, no lo logramos antes, cuando tendría que merecidamente haber sido en su tiempo y momento. Algunos abandonaron el esfuerzo, otros más empecinados y tercos, nos mantuvimos, no tuvimos las armas con las cuales tu hasta te ufanabas que apelabas con tanto descaro, las más ruines, las más sucias, las más perversas, pero a pesar de ello, lo único que lograste fue que el esfuerzo se fortaleciera, soñando quimeras tantas veces burladas por tus perversas acciones, pero “ingenuamente” como juzgabas por nuestro proceder, nosotros si sabíamos, que algún día ibas a ser derrotado. Te vencimos, te vencimos, te vencimos, hoy es mi día de gloria… No lo dudes que lo estoy disfrutando, como un pequeño que ha tumbado a un monstruo gigante, perverso e inhumano.

Finally, Blog Sacoleiro [es] talks about outgoing president Nicanor Duarte's “duality” saying that he will be judged like a president that has suffered from a double personality syndrome. In the future Nicanor will be remembered more for his contributions than for his failures, but mostly he will be remembered because of his duality of assuming two personalities. In the blogger's words he says: “Today we celebrate the advances and fight to correct the failures, advance in what we went backwards, fight for the goverment reform and for the end of the Clientelism that harmed many of us.”

Photo taken by Muna Annahas

Paraguay’s Presidential elections will be held on April 20, 2008. Many of the top presidential candidates are using blogs as a way to communicate with potential voters as they transmit their thoughts about a specific topic or explain their government plan in case they are elected. These blogs are written and published in one of Paraguay’s mains newspapers called Diario ABC.

To date, some of the candidate have more than 43,000 visits and some even 500 comments on a single post, which indicates a high degree of interest for this election. Few would have thought that there would be such a direct communication from a presidential candidate with a potential voter, who could express an opinion or a concern, debate or even scrutinize their platform.

Two of the major candidates that each have their own blogs are:

Fernando Lugo is a Roman Catholic bishop and is running for president with the Christian Democratic Party. He writes about what he had to do in order to run for the highest office in Paraguay [es].

Después de 30 años de disciplinado sacerdocio he renunciado a mis condiciones formales de obispo sin dejar de ser cristiano y paraguayo para dedicarme a la política, trabajar por un proyecto y buscar convertirme en Presidente de la República del Paraguay para servir a mis queridos sufridos hermanos de este hermoso y bendito país.

Blanca Ovelar is the candidate for the current ruling party, the Colorado Party, and she is backed by the current Paraguayan president Nicanor Duarte. One of her major issues is fighting corruption, and she writes [es]:

Quien niegue que hay corrupción en el Paraguay, estaría cerrando los ojos a la realidad. La corrupción existe, y ha logrado instalarse en todos los sectores de la sociedad. Tanto en el sector público como en el sector privado; en el partido de gobierno como en los de oposición; en las empresas como en los sindicatos.

The presence of these blogs may be a result of the internet becoming more and more popular in Paraguay. New cyber cafes are opening around almost every corner in the capital city of Asuncion and more wireless and broadband providers are available compared to more than a few years ago. Most people see internet as a commodity, and not as a luxury, which is allowing for more access for more people. During the last elections of 2003, this type of virtual interaction between blogger (presidential candidate) and reader (potential voter) was almost inconceivable, and it is amazing to see how things have changed in the past five years.

Here is what some bloggers are saying about the Yellow Fever scare in Paraguay:

Muna Annahas says that Paraguay has declared an emergency situation due this epidemic:

They are investigating the origin of the disease in the patients, the ministry is very concerned about the situation so the whole population. A few people have recently died in Paraguay of Yellow Fever. Paraguay has even declared emergency situation due this epidemic attack.

Guillermo Verdún of Paraguayo [es] is tells us that while people were waiting in line under the hot sun for hours, others were receiving vaccinations in exchange for commitments to vote for a particular candidate .

Mientras en el hospital materno-infantil de Limpio había cientos de personas haciendo fila bajo un sol abrasador (foto de la izquierda) para vacunarse contra la fiebre amarilla, a una cuadra de allí, en la casa del ex candidato a intendente Guido Gómez, donde funciona el PC de Blanca Ovelar en esa ciudad, había suficientes dosis para aquellos que se comprometían a votar por la candidata nicanorista. Se verificaban los nombres en una lista a la entrada y se anotaba a los beneficiarios en un cuaderno, según pudieron corroborar periodistas de este diario.

Meanwhile, in the maternal-infant hospital in Limpio, there were hundreds of people lining up under a baking sun in order to be vaccinated against yellow fever. A block away in the house of the ex-candidate Guido Gómez, where the headquarters of Blanca Ovelar operate, there were enough vacccines for those that committed to vote for the candidate of the ruling party. They verified the names on the list upon entering and registered them in a notebook, according to journalists that corroborated the story.

Rescatar [es] says that in middle of what already seems to be a mass psychosis generated by the lack of trust of the authorities, it began to register acts of violence during the demand for vaccination.

Comenzaron a registrarse actos de violencia en demanda de vacunación y hay gente que acampa un día antes frente a los locales donde habrá inmunización. El verano está siendo particularmente riguroso con temperaturas –a la sombra- de 35º que bajo el sol superan los 40º y muchos deben soportar estoicamente hasta que la exposición a tan adversas condiciones acaba con su reserva de paciencia.

Acts of violence were beginning to be seen as a result of the demand for vaccinations. There are people that camp out the day before, in front of the immunization sites. The summer is experiencing particularly high temperatures - 35 degrees Celsius in the shade, and up to 40 degrees Celsius under the sun. Many of them must stoically support these adverse conditions, where some people begin to lose their patience.

The blog also produced a video with photos of the long lines, vaccinations and a critical rebuke of the policies of the Paraguayan government qualifying it as “useless.” The video is titled, “The Mosquito Bites the Political Inefficiency.”

Photo by Muna Annahas

The way foreigners see Paraguay, what, and how they feel when they first arrive to Paraguay can be quite an interesting subject. Some stay for a short time as a tourist, while others stay for a couple of years for a mission or project, and even some choose to live there permanently, maybe even to retire there. For many the experience is novel, when they come across something new. For example, the first time someone drinks Terere can be a wonderful experience. In most cases this experience takes place in the company of a Paraguayan, and where new bonds can be made.

For many, these experiences are shared with family members back home or with others within the ex-pat community in Paraguay and abroad through their blogs. Here are few examples of blogs written by ex-patriates in Paraguay. Many are involved with church-related activities, and all write about adjusting to a new culture, food, and people.

Brenda is a missionary living in Paraguay and writes Brenda's Blog about Paraguay, she tells about her daily experiences and the people she has met and their stories. In addition, the blog is written with a great sense of humor and is written in a catchy style. One of her favorite subjects is all of the great food that Paraguay has to offer. Here she amazes of the delicious mangoes that can readily be found:

Its mango season here in Paraguay and I am eating as many as I can get my hands on. There are two varieties in Paraguay, the yellow ones and the red ones pictured. The yellow ones are smaller and mostly good for juice. These red ones are great for eating.

Another interesting blog called Faithful in the Few Things is written by Jackie McCobb, also a Missionary, she grew up in Venezuela but lives in Paraguay with her family writing about her daily experiences. It is a personal blog with a lot of interesting stories. In addition, Jackie is trying hard to learn Guaraní, the country's indigenous language. She writes:

I've recently taken up a new project…I've decided to study the Guarani language. The pronunciation of this language is very similar to that of Yekwana and I can't help but think that perhaps God was preparing me with Yekwana, to learn Guarani. So, every Tuesday during the siesta hour, my friend, Graciela, comes over and gives me a Guarani lesson. If you've never studied a language before (this is my first time) it's kind of funny. You find yourself feeling very proud about being able to say the simplest (and weirdest) sentences.

Another blog I really like is The Jungle Hut, it is written by a Rita Vernoy, a missionary that is about to move to Paraguay. She is also the mother of the author of the previous blog, Faithful in the Few Things. She writes about her frequent trips to visit her daughter:

One of my first impressions is that the Paraguayan people are very friendly! Even while waiting for our flight from Brazil to Asuncion, we had already made friends with many of the Paraguayan people on the flight.

Photo by Alex-S and used under a Creative Commons license.

For a time, Paraguayans were afraid to express their own minds, especially during the long period of an authoritarian regime, when the country was still presided by the Dictator Alfredo Stroessner (1954 to 1989). Paraguayans didn't have the right of free expression and it had almost become a built-in feature for most citizens. In addition, it is sad that some of their personalities were suppressed after so many years of repression. Fortunately the most daring, especially among the younger generation, this is slowing changing and people are opening up about different aspects of their lives focusing on interesting topics like:

* Citizen Journalism
* Personal Blogs
* Academic Blogs
* Political blogs
* Bridge Blogs
* Cultural/Indigenous Blogs

Most blogs are written in Spanish, except for some bridge blogs and journals written by ex-pats. Here are some examples of these different categories in Paraguay:

Citizen Journalism - A very interesting blog called Rescatar [es], which means to Rescue, and hopes to “rescue” the experiences of civil society to learn, exchange and increase dialogue. They also share inspirational initiatives to contribute to Paraguay's development. Some stories focus on the Mennonite community in Paraguay and water rights issues.

Personal Blogs - Written by Luz Maria Toledo, Relatos y Sueños [es] (Stories and Dreams) talks about her dreams and her interesting inner reflections and comments about life with a lot of sensitivity and touch of irony.

Academic Blogs - Masonería Blog Los Arquitectos [es]talks about Masonry, free thinking, humanism and different aspects of Masonry thinking, it is written by Christian Gadea Saguier who is an architect who also has published 2 books called: “El Ministerio de los Masones” (The Ministry of the Masons) y “Los hijos de la Luz” (The Sons of the Light).

Political Blogs - Oasis Libertario [es] is written by Juan Carlos Rojas, a young Law student, who works for a Foundation. In addition, his aim is to promote libertarian ideas and the search for solutions to problems through debate. He also has interesting points of view about Liberty, Communism and Capitalism, as well as the upcoming election season:

En Paraguay existe un ambiente de mucha incertidumbre debido a la proximidad de las elecciones generales. La corrupción y la desconfianza están a la orden del día, así también la falta de ideas en cuanto a las propuestas que tienen los candidatos al electorado. Nos encontramos ante un dilema en donde no tenemos solución.

In Paraguay, there is an air of uncertainty due to the upcoming general elections. Corruption and distrust are at the top of the agenda, as well as the lack of ideas in the proposals of the candidates. We find ourselves in a dilemma that has no solution.

Bridge Blogs - From Seattle, WA, Muna Annahas is a Paraguayan National living far away from her native country . Her goal is to provide readers a glimpse into her “largely unknown” country. She treats readers to tips regarding travel within the country, reminisces about her most recent travels back to Asunción, and what she misses most about her hometown. As an amateur photographer she often illustrates her posts with interesting documentary photos and videos, and she writes her posts mostly in English so more people can understand and learn more about her beloved Paraguay.

Cultural/Indigenous Blogs - El Yacare [es/gu] is a weekly cultural blog about Paraguay's different cultural aspects, cultural activities, Guaraní Language, native population, etc. It talks about “Pea que Amoa” which means in guarani “This and that.” A main focus of the blog is devoted to solidarity campaigns and denouncing injustices against peasant and indigenous groups [es].

El Movimiento Agrario del Paraguay (MOAPA) denuncia la violencia instaurada en los asentamientos Primavera, Los Comuneros y Tapyi Pyajhu de la ciudad de Minga Guazú, a traves de los atropellos sistemáticos que vienen sufriendo desde meses atrás por sectores pertenecientes al oficialismo del Partido Colorado. Estos asentamientos fueron reconocidos con el decreto del Poder Ejecutivo Nº 6294/05, luego de 7 años de lucha por la tierra de manera pacífica pero con firmeza. Se consiguieron 400 hectáreas.

The Agrarian Movement of Paraguay (MOAPA for its initials in Spanish) denounce the violence that took place in the settlements of Primavera, Los Comuneros and Tapyi Pyajhu in the city of Minga Guazú, through the systematic violations that they have been suffering from the past few months at the hands of sectors that pertain to the government party, the Colored Party. These settlements were recognized by Executive decree No. 6294/05 after seven years of struggle for the land in a pacific, but firm manner. They were able to obtain 400 hectares.

There are some ex-pat blogs that I have to include in the next post. Paraguay is all about the experience and now thanks to our bloggers we can definitely know that there is much more happening than what we see in the news.