At last! Stevia, a plant whose leaves are sweet and which is native to Paraguay, has gotten approval from the FDA for use as a non-calorie sweetener and is being marketed in the USA under the names Truvia and PureVia.

The sad part of the story, of course, is that no Paraguayan company could get its act together enough to patent, develop, and market this for an external market. A couple of big multinationals had to do it. And so, no one will know that this is a plant indigenous to Paraguay, grown here, processed here, used here for years as a non-calorie sweetener that doesn't have those nasty aftertastes that Saccharin/Aspartame/Sucralose. And, of course, the financial benefits do not mostly go to this country.

In a press conference this morning, Lugo says "Asumo la paternidad" which basically means that he's assuming paternal responsibility for the 2 year old boy whose mother placed a court "demand" against Paraguay's president to formally recognize paternity.

The mood here is "meh"... "Very catholic country" and "puritanical" are actually not the same thing. There are no calls for his resignation a la Spitzer in New York and most people I've spoken to say the same things: 1) so what, he's human 2) he's been responsible in paying child support and didn't leave the mother hanging 3) this is an attempt to get more money 4) Lugo's enemies have chosen now to create yet another mess for the guy.

It's both possible and the most obvious tactic by which to undercut the credibility of Paraguay's new president. A report has come out today that a young woman has presented a case before the court in Encarnación (a Paraguayan border city close to Posadas, Argentina) requesting that Fernando Lugo recognize her two year old son as his own, legally. Um, as an oath-taking cleric, he's not really supposed to have been having babies and so, while he wouldn't be the first politician or priest to have broken a vow of chastity, it is a highly convenient attack, coming at a time when the Lugo government is at its weakest (credible rumors of subterfuge on the part of his vice president, a Liberal, and the previous president, a Colorado, and a failed-presidential candidate/failed-coup leader abound; plus, Lugo's had a hard time pushing through legislation in an opposition-controlled parliament and there've been cabinet-level resignations recently in protest of the president's agricultural policies).

To read more about the destabilizing claim that Paraguay's first non-Colorado president in six decades, the first former bishop in the world to rule a country, and a democratically elected left-of-center (supposedly) leader has a child on the side:

Demandan a Lugo que reconozca a su hijo (Parte 1)
("They demand that Lugo recognize his son" from ABC Color)

UPDATED. Uh oh. There's more:

Demandan al presidente Lugo por supuesto hijo no reconocido
("Lugo charged to recognize his alleged son" from Ultima Hora)

Presidente Fernando Lugo es demandado por filiación en Encarnación
("President Fernando Lugo is charged for paternity in Encarnación" from La Nación)

UPDATED again.

Demandan por filiación a Lugo (Parte 2): la supuesta relación secreta
("Demand for filiation to Lugo: The supposed secret relationship" from ABC Color)