Fernando Lugo

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Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez (born May 30, 1949 in San Pedro, San Pedro, Paraguay) is a Paraguayan politician and former Roman Catholic bishop. He is a presidential pre-candidate in the 2008 election. He had requested laicization, but was instead suspended from priestly ministry for running for office.^[1]

[edit] History with the Church

Lugo was ordained a priest on August 15, 1977 as part of the Society of the Divine Word and was ordained Bishop of San Pedro, Paraguay in 1994.

Following his presidential aspirations, Lugo resigned as bishop on January 11, 2005.

[edit] Presidential candidacy

Known as "the bishop of the poor", Lugo is seen by many as the most serious threat to the dominance of the Colorado Party on Paraguayan politics. Although he has said he finds the presidency of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela interesting, he has also made a point to distance himself from populist leaders in Latin America, focusing more on social inequality in Paraguay.

On February 23, 2007, a Prensa Latina article noted that the Paraguayan Interior Ministry offered Lugo protection because of the death threats he has received during the course of his political activities.^[2]

According to a poll released in February 2007, he was the leading contender in Paraguay's next presidential election, scheduled in April 2008^[3].