Paraguay president, a former bishop, admits second child

ASUNCION (AFP) ― President Fernando Lugo, a former bishop whose clutch of paternity lawsuits has provoked anger in staunchly Catholic Paraguay, acknowledged Tuesday being the father of a 10-year-old boy.

Lugo, 61, already admitted fathering a three-year-old boy in 2009 and is facing at least two other paternity lawsuits. All the alleged conceptions date back to when he was a priest, before he was elected president in 2008.

“The president has given me instructions to immediately start the legal formalities to recognize the child,” attorney Marcos Farina told a press conference.

The mother was named as a 42-year-old nurse from San Pedro, Narcisa de la Cruz de Zarate. The boy’s name is Angel. Lugo was bishop of the diocese of San Pedro until stepping down in December 2006.

Viviana Carrillo, the mother of his first publicly acknowledged child, is 33 years Lugo’s junior.

Two other women are still pursuing paternity suits against the former cleric.