This article contains a list of heads of state of Paraguay since its independence in 1811 to the present day.
Background After Paraguay proclaimed independence from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, its first effective head of state was utopist José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia. He ruled the country from 1814 until his death in 1840, ensuring very little outside contact or influence.War of The Triple Alliance , War of the Pacific. Retrieved 14 November 2010
Since the establishment of the office of President of the Republic in 1844, during the family dictatorship of the López family (1841–1870), Paraguay had 51 presidents. Between the end of the Paraguayan War in 1870 and the 1954 coup d'état, the country had 44 presidents; 24 of them were forcefully removed from power. Eventually, Army General Alfredo Stroessner, supported by the Armed Forces and the right-wing Colorado Party, seized power in the 1954 coup d'état. Relying on the military and the party as the "twin pillars" of his rule, and ruling in the single-party system until 1962, Stroessner was elected for eight consecutive terms before being ousted in the 1989 coup d'état. His 35-year-long rule was one of the longest in history by a non-royal leader.
List of officeholders
Symbols
Died in office
Non-presidential heads of state (1811–1844) No.PortraitName(Birth–Death)Term of officeTitleTook officeLeft officeTime in office– Bernardo de Velasco(1742–1821)José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia(1766–1840)Juan Valeriano de Zevallos16 May 181117 June 1811Governor Intendants–Fulgencio Yegros(1780–1821)17 June 181112 October 1813President of the Superior Governing Junta–José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia(1766–1840)12 October 181312 February 1814Consul of the Republic–Fulgencio Yegros(1780–1821)12 February 181412 June 1814Consul of the Republic–José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia(1766–1840)12 June 18143 October 1814Consul of the Republic3 October 181430 May 1816Supreme Dictator30 May 181620 September 1840Perpetual Dictator–Manuel Antonio Ortiz(?–?)20 September 184021 January 1841President of the Provisional Junta–Juan José MedinaJosé Gabriel BenítezJosé Domingo Ocampos21 January 18419 February 1841Triumvirate–Mariano Roque Alonso(1792–1853)9 February 184112 March 1841General Commander of Arms–Carlos Antonio LópezMariano Roque Alonso(1792–1853)12 March 184113 March 1844Consuls of the Republic
Presidents (1844–present) PortraitNameElectedTerm of officePolitical partyVice president(s) Took office Left office Time in office 1 Carlos Antonio López — 13 March 1844 10 September 1862 Independent Mariano González
Vacant from 1846 to 1862
Francisco Solano López 2 Francisco Solano López — 10 September 1862 1 March 1870 Independent Vacant from 1862 to 1865
Domingo Francisco Sánchez 3 Facundo Machaín — 31 August 1870 1 September 1870 Independent Vacant throughoutpresidency 4 Cirilo Antonio Rivarola 1870 1 September 1870 18 December 1871 Independent Cayo Miltos
Salvador Jovellanos 5 Salvador Jovellanos — 18 December 1871 25 November 1874 Independent Vacant throughoutpresidency 6 Juan Bautista Gill 1874 25 November 1874 12 April 1877 Independent Higinio Uriarte 7 Higinio Uriarte — 12 April 1877 25 November 1878 Independent Vacant throughoutpresidency 8 Cándido Bareiro 1878 25 November 1878 4 September 1880 Independent Adolfo Saguier 9 Bernardino Caballero —
1882 4 September 1880 25 November 1886 Independent Vacant
Juan Antonio Jara 10 Patricio Escobar 1886 25 November 1886 25 November 1890 4 years Independent José del Rosario Miranda Colorado 11 Juan Gualberto González 1890 25 November 1890 9 June 1894 Colorado Marcos Morínigo 12 Marcos Morínigo — 9 June 1894 25 November 1894 Colorado Vacant throughoutpresidency 13 Juan Bautista Egusquiza 1894 25 November 1894 25 November 1898 4 years Colorado Facundo Ynsfrán Caballero 14 Emilio Aceval 1898 25 November 1898 9 January 1902 Colorado Andrés Héctor Carvallo 15 Andrés Héctor Carvallo — 9 January 1902 25 November 1902 Colorado Vacant throughoutpresidency 16 Juan Antonio Escurra 1902 25 November 1902 19 December 1904 Colorado Manuel Domínguez 17 Juan Bautista Gaona — 19 December 1904 9 December 1905 Liberal Vacant throughoutpresidency 18 Cecilio Báez — 9 December 1905 25 November 1906 Liberal Vacant throughoutpresidency 19 Benigno Ferreira 1906 25 November 1906 4 July 1908 Liberal Emiliano González Navero 20 Emiliano González Navero — 4 July 1908 25 November 1910 Liberal Vacant throughoutpresidency 21 Manuel Gondra 1910 25 November 1910 17 January 1911 Liberal Juan Bautista Gaona 22 Albino Jara — 17 January 1911 5 July 1911 Liberal Vacant throughoutpresidency 23 Liberato Marcial Rojas — 5 July 1911 28 February 1912 Liberal Vacant throughoutpresidency 24 Pedro Pablo Peña — 28 February 1912 22 March 1912 Colorado Vacant throughoutpresidency (20) Emiliano González Navero — 22 March 1912 15 August 1912 Liberal Vacant throughoutpresidency 25 Eduardo Schaerer 1912 15 August 1912 15 August 1916 4 years Liberal Pedro Bobadilla 26 Manuel Franco 1916 15 August 1916 5 June 1919 Liberal José Pedro Montero 27 José Pedro Montero — 5 June 1919 15 August 1920 Liberal Vacant throughoutpresidency (21) Manuel Gondra 1920 15 August 1920 7 November 1921 Liberal Félix Paiva 28 Eusebio Ayala — 7 November 1921 12 April 1923 Liberal Vacant throughoutpresidency 29 Eligio Ayala — 12 April 1923 17 March 1924 Liberal Vacant throughoutpresidency 30 Luis Alberto Riart — 17 March 1924 15 August 1924 Liberal Vacant throughoutpresidency (29) Eligio Ayala 1924 15 August 1924 15 August 1928 4 years Liberal Manuel Burgos 31 José Patricio Guggiari 1928 15 August 1928 15 August 1932 4 years Liberal Emiliano González Navero (28) Eusebio Ayala 1932 15 August 1932 17 February 1936 Liberal Raúl Casal Ribeiro 32 Rafael Franco — 17 February 1936 15 August 1937 Independent Vacant throughoutpresidency 33 Félix Paiva — 15 August 1937 15 August 1939 2 years Liberal Vacant throughoutpresidency 34 José Félix Estigarribia 1939 15 August 1939 7 September 1940 Liberal Luis Alberto Riart
Position abolished Independent 35 Higinio Morínigo —
1943 7 September 1940 3 June 1948 Independent Position abolished 36 Juan Manuel Frutos — 3 June 1948 15 August 1948 Colorado Position abolished 37 Juan Natalicio González 1948 15 August 1948 30 January 1949 Colorado Position abolished 38 Raimundo Rolón — 30 January 1949 26 February 1949 Colorado Position abolished 39 Felipe Molas López —
1949 26 February 1949 11 September 1949 Colorado Position abolished 40 Federico Chaves —
1950
1953 11 September 1949 4 May 1954 Colorado Position abolished 41 Tomás Romero Pereira — 4 May 1954 15 August 1954 Colorado Position abolished 42 Alfredo Stroessner 1954
1958
1963
1968
1973
1978
1983
1988 15 August 1954 3 February 1989 Colorado Position abolished 43 Andrés Rodríguez 1989 3 February 1989 15 August 1993 Colorado Position abolished 44 Juan Carlos Wasmosy 1993 15 August 1993 15 August 1998 5 years Colorado Ángel Seifart 45 Raúl Cubas 1998 15 August 1998 28 March 1999 Colorado Luis María Argaña 46 Luis González Macchi — 28 March 1999 15 August 2003 Colorado Vacant
Julio César Franco
Vacant 47 Nicanor Duarte 2003 15 August 2003 15 August 2008 5 years Colorado Luis Castiglioni
Francisco Oviedo 48 Fernando Lugo 2008 15 August 2008 22 June 2012 Christian Democratic Federico Franco Guasú Front 49 Federico Franco — 22 June 2012 15 August 2013 Liberal Oscar Denis 50 Horacio Cartes 2013 15 August 2013 15 August 2018 5 years Colorado Juan Afara
Alicia Pucheta 51 Mario Abdo 2018 15 August 2018 15 August 2023 5 years Colorado Hugo Velázquez 52 Santiago Peña 2023 15 August 2023 Incumbent Colorado Pedro Alliana
Timeline
See also President of Paraguay History of Paraguay Politics of Paraguay
Notes
References
External links Presidency of the Republic of Paraguay