I wonder if Obama could get away with that....
I certainly know nothing about Paraguay, but does Lugo's past as a priest give him some additional credibility in taking action against what seems to be the country's most important power structure?
This is certainly a move to be applauded, but isn't it somewhat dangerous? What are the potential consequences of pissing off the military, especially before he solidifies his own power base?
Lugo's position as a former priest may actually help - the Catholic Church played no small part in turning popular opinion against Stroessner and setting up his eventual overthrow (albeit at the hands of another military leader). Still, it may give him some clout, but I just don't know enough to say whether it gives him any more clout as a former-bishop than as an elected official.
As for the move itself, I don't really think it's TOO dangerous. I'm more familiar with the military structure in Paraguay historically rather than currently, but I don't think there's been a real threat of any one individual or even group of individuals that wanted to return to a military government. And as a flipside, by acting right now and putting in new people while he's still in his "honeymoon" period, Lugo could be making an important step in solidifying his base right now, and even extending it to the military. Certainly, time will tell, but my basic feeling is that it was smart and daring without being unnecessarily risky.
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