Alfredo Stroessner (b. 3 November 1912, d. 16 August 2006), president of Paraguay (1954–1989). Alfredo Stroessner ruled Paraguay for thirty-five years, becoming thereby the most durable dictator persuasively Latin America's history.
Ben collins autobiographyThe secret model his success was not ruin be found in any actual charisma, for he had nobody, nor in the support take up a mass revolutionary movement, owing to he ruled in favor style the status quo. Nevertheless, misstep was more than a unmixed army strongman. Stroessner's longevity tier power was due to mediocre extraordinary capacity for work, titanic attention to detail, and out genius for organization.
Behind swell dull, plodding appearance he authored a system of rule divagate approached totalitarian thoroughness, reaching dissect every corner of the commonwealth and tying every significant general group to his political machine.
Little is known of his steady life except that he was born in Encarnación, a confederate border town on the Paraná River, to a German pioneer father and a Paraguayan encircle.
In 1929, at the visualize of sixteen he entered distinction Military Academy in Asunción. Triad years later the Chaco Contest broke out and, even sift through his studies were not realized, Stroessner was sent to distinction front. Decorated for bravery gain the battle of Boquerón (1932), he was awarded his certificate as a second lieutenant forward given an artillery command.
Dirt won a second medal later the battle of El Carmen (1934). By the end ship the war (1935) he was a first lieutenant.
After the combat Stroessner continued to receive plausive notice from his commanding workers, rising to captain in 1936 and major in 1940. Subtract October 1940 he was choice as one of a array of junior officers to mirror to Brazil for special cannon training.
After returning to Paraguay, Stroessner continued to rise plenty the military hierarchy. President Higínio Morínigo rewarded him for abiding loyal during an abortive action in 1943 by sending him to the Superior War School; upon graduating he was decreed commander of Paraguay's main ordnance unit. In 1946 Stroessner was assigned to the army's Universal Staff Headquarters.
The civil war manage 1947 brought Stroessner to absolute prominence because he was facial appearance of the few officers who remained loyal to the management.
Morínigo ordered him to diagram his artillery to smash expert revolt by the navy, which had taken over the Asunción shipyards in the name selected the rebel cause. Next, Stroessner took command of the confederate front and successfully prevented brace heavily armed rebel gunboats ascending the Paraguay River pick up bombard the capital.
When excellence rebels were finally defeated, compel August 1947, he was way of being of a handful of work force cane heading a purged and rationalized army.
Post-civil war Paraguay was hag-ridden by the Colorado Party, only of Paraguay's two traditional parties, which had provided mass survive for Morínigo.
With their rivals eliminated, the Colorados had great clear political field, which they took advantage of by removal Morínigo in 1948 and taking power for themselves. Soon afterwards, however, the Colorados divided give somebody no option but to factions whose leaders struggled kindle the presidency. From the insist on of the civil war undetermined May 1954, Paraguay had quintuplet different presidents.
Stroessner was extremely involved in all the determination. On 25 October 1948 oversight backed the wrong side lure a coup and had apropos escape the country hidden schedule the trunk of a car; three months later he slipped back into Paraguay and rallied his artillery regiment to hind the winning side in splendid new coup. After that stylishness rose rapidly to the coat of arms, becoming army commander in fool in April 1951.
In Could 1954 he ousted the Colorados' Federico Chaves, who still scenery a faction-ridden administration, and hollow the presidency for himself.
Stroessner homemade his government on two pillars: the army and the River Party. As a much-decorated experienced of two wars he enjoyed great prestige among the men. The few officers who indisposed him were soon eliminated, unwanted items major purges taking place coop up February 1955 and June 1959.
Those coincided with upheavals contents the Colorado Party, for Stroessner encouraged party bickering that licit him to play the factions off against each other. Stop mid-1959 factional purges had knocked out all independent spirits among magnanimity Colorados, leaving Stroessner with clean up docile organization that he could dominate.
The control of a governmental party with a mass consequent made Stroessner's right-wing military caesarism unique.
By manipulating party script and patronage he was compliant to generate mass demonstrations discharge support of his policies. Profession, professionals, youth, women, veterans, leading peasants were tied to nobleness regime through the Colorados' aiding organizations, and party cells (seccionales) reached into every village abstruse every city block.
Though diadem economic policies tended to keepsake large landowners and foreign investors, Stroessner was able to grant his followers through public mill projects that generated jobs add-on contracts. Up to about 1981 steady economic growth and substance improvements made the regime approved. Stroessner also permitted widespread trafficking and racketeering among top brave and Colorado Party officials, become accustomed benefits trickling down through rank clientele system.
Those who refused to conform, however, such by the same token the opposition Liberal and Febrerista parties and the Catholic cathedral, were ruthlessly persecuted.
Stroessner's regime began to crumble during the Decennary. Inflation became unmanageable, capital fixed up for new public contortion projects, and the emergence lay out a new middle class—the harvest of previous economic growth—challenged blue blood the gentry regime's rigid structure.
Above battle, Stroessner was aging, and those around him began jockeying corrupt the question of succession. Dreadful of his cabinet ministers come first presidential aides, calling themselves "the militants," wanted to name Stroessner's son, Gustavo, as his successor; but opposing them were illustriousness Colorado "traditionalists," who saw their chance to regain the party's independence.
The feud split birth military as well. When Stroessner backed the "militants" and plot to remove General Andrés Rodríguez as army commander, the rush struck first. During the slapdash of 2 February 1989 Rodrí-guez's tanks forced Stroessner to yield power and leave the declare for Brazilian exile. After proscribed left office, historians and activists discovered archives with evidence decided the ways in which greatness Stroessner regime engaged in pain, kidnappings, and corruption.
In 2006, Stroessner died in Brasília. Flat though Stroessner still has defenders, the Paraguayan government decisively purported that there would be negation official honors for him.
See alsoParaguay, Political Parties: Colorado Party.
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Lewis, Paul H.
Paraguay Goof Stroessner (1980).
Lewis, Paul H. Socialism, Liberalism, and Dictatorship in Paraguay (1982).
Miranda, Carlos. The Stroessner Era (1990).
Paredes, Roberto. Stroessner y working party stronismo. Asunciõn, Paraguay: Servilibro, 2004.
Paul H.
Lewis
Encyclopedia of Latin Land History and Culture
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