For the first time in over 60 years, the conservative Colorado Party has lost their hold on Paraguay after leftist Roman Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo won the country’s presidential election. Lugo, who is known as the “bishop of the poor”, is a political novice who was able to defeat the experienced right-wing machine by bringing leftist unions, indigenous people, and poor farmers together to form the Patriotic Alliance for Change of seven opposition parties. He has most notably called for land reform and a renegotiation to an energy treaty with Brazil.

Lugo (who sounds like a substantive and liberal version of Barack Obama) said he had dreamt of Paraguay being a country for everyone. Once it was clear that he not only won, but that the victory would be respected, Lugo told supporters at his campaign headquarters, “I invite Paraguayans of all political types, even the ones who don’t share our ideals, to help this country that was once great be great again.” Lugo’s main competition was Blanca Olevar, a candidate from the Colorado Party who was campaigning to become the first female president.

Sitting President Nicanor Duarte of the Colorado Party told a news conference, “For the first time in our history, one party will transfer power to another without a coup, without bloodshed and without fighting among brothers.” The Colorado Party has been in power since 1947. Lugo’s win brings an end to one of the longest periods of continuous rule in the world, and is also the latest in a series of election victories by leftist leaders in Latin America.

Paraguay’s conservative government has been a violator and civil and human rights, and a key ally of Washington (of course) as the rest of Latin America has shifted to the left. That relationship will obviously crumble now that Paraguay belongs to the people. Like all leftist leaders, Lugo will have much work ahead of him to repair the damage that capitalism, authoritarianism, corruption, colonialism, and violent political repression have done to his country.

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