Paraguay, Republic, 15 Centimos – 1953

Description

Paraguay gained independence from Spain in 1811 and established a republic. The early years of the republic were marked by political instability, including a civil war in 1841-1842.
In 1844, Brazil was the first country to recognize its independence, as Argentina considered Paraguaya a rebellious province.

The greatest crisis in its history was the war of the triple alliance, in which Paraguay was on the verge of disappearing due to the combined action of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. It was the bloodiest war in the history of Latin America.
The war began in 1864 between Paraguay and Brazil with the excuse of the invasion of Uruguay (with the allied white government of Paraguay), and the following year Argentina and Uruguay joined.
The war ended in 1870 with Paraguay devastated and invaded by its enemies who would not abandon it completely until 1876. The guerrilla war in which the war ended made it also hard for civilians with very high human losses. In addition, Paraguay lost rights to many territories that were in dispute with its neighbors.

In the late 19th century, Paraguay experienced a period of economic growth under the presidency of Juan Bautista Gill. However, political turmoil continued to plague the country, and the Liberal and Colorado parties engaged in a power struggle that lasted several decades.

Between 1932 and 1935, the Chaco War was fought between Paraguay and Bolivia, for control of this region that was thought to be rich in oil. An example of how the greed of multinational companies generated a bloody war for control of strategic resources. This war is masterfully captured by Hergé in the story of Tintin’s Broken Ear, including the appearance of the “merchant of death” Basil Zaharoff.

During the 20th century, Paraguay was governed by a series of authoritarian regimes. In 1954, General Alfredo Stroessner took power in a military coup and ruled the country for 35 years. Stroessner’s regime was characterized by human rights abuses, corruption and censorship.

In 1989, Stroessner was overthrown in a coup led by General Andrés Rodríguez. Rodríguez established a democratic government and began a process of political and economic reforms.

Since the end of the Stroessner era, Paraguay has made significant progress in terms of democratization and economic development. However, the country still faces challenges such as poverty, corruption and inequality. In recent years, Paraguay has also been hit by political controversies, including the impeachment of President Fernando Lugo in 2012 and the 2020 protests against the government of Mario Abdo Benítez.