Newly elected Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo named a former slave as his Minister for Indigenous Affair.

Margarita Mbywangi, 46, an Ache tribal chief, was captured in the jungle when she was four and sold several times as a slave to owners of large lands. Fortunately, her masters send her to school which enabled her to learn to read and write.

She is the first indigenous person appointed to the post. Lugo, a former Catholic bishop, appears to be radical in granting ministerial appointments to emphasize the change of government. He took over the reins of the state held over six decades by the Colorado Party.

However, some Indian leaders have expressed apprehension Mbywangi would give special treatment to the Ache tribe. She assured them, quoted by a Paraguayan TV station, "We are immediately going to help colleagues from different communities who are experiencing a difficult situation due to lack of potable water, food and clothing."

She is a mother of three and is pursuing a high school diploma.