President George Bush joined Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo Monday in a pledge to bring assistance to the poverty-stricken South American nation while fighting corruption in the ranks of its government.
After a meeting with Lugo at the White House, Bush said his administration welcomed the opportunity to open discussions with Lugo that could lead to assistance from Washington.
"We want to help with education and health care. We care deeply about people being able to work," Bush said.
In his post-meeting statement, Lugo pledged to fight corruption and work to lift the nation out of poverty.
"We are profoundly hurt in our souls by poverty, by the exodus of our young people, by the lack of education, by people who don't have roofs over their heads," said Lugo. "Our dream is that Paraguay be known not for its corruption, but for its transparency and for its dignity as a people and as a country."
Noting that Lugo had a "hard job" in moving toward his goals, President Bush said he recognized the South American leader's commitment to work against government corruption plaguing his country's ability to lift itself out of poverty.
"I'm impressed by the fact that you want to take a strong stand against corruption. There's nothing more discouraging than to have the government of a people steal their money," said Bush. "And so we stand with you. It's -- you got a hard job. I understand that. But you bring the right spirit to the job."
Lugo is a former Catholic bishop who ended 61 years of one-party conservative rule in the country when he became head of state in August.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.