| Alfred Stroessner was the last of a rogues gallery | | | | easily. He was subsequently re-elected eight |
| of caudillos that included Peron of Argentina, | | | | times, although there was a constitutional |
| Batista of Cuba, Somoza of Nicaragua and | | | | stipulation that no president could serve more |
| Pinochet of Chile. He strangled poor old Paraguay, | | | | than two consecutive terms. In the initial election |
| driving the heels of his sturdy little boots on it's | | | | he was the only candidate, as he was in 1958, in |
| industry, culture and politics. He was born to a | | | | the other elections he won by ridiculously large |
| German father and a mother of a wealthy | | | | margins, many times by way over 80%, indicating |
| Paraguayan family. He joined the Paraguayan | | | | massive electoral fraud. He kept a stranglehold on |
| army in 1929, fighting in the Chaco War against | | | | power by declaring a state of emergency and |
| Bolivia where he distinguished himself as a | | | | renewing it every ninety days, except during |
| competent and effective commander, impressing | | | | elections, until 1987. From 1947, Stroessner's |
| many who intended taking power once the war | | | | Colorado party was the only legal party in the |
| was over. Stroessner however played it cool, | | | | state, from 1962 opposition parties were |
| dawdling in the shadows as a series of coups and | | | | nominally permitted but Paraguay remained for all |
| short-lived governments rocked Paraguay. In | | | | intents and purposes a one party state. The |
| 1951, he was appointed as commander in chief of | | | | opposition never had a chance of achieving power |
| the army by Federico Chavez in return for | | | | and members of the opposition were subject to |
| assisting him in taking over the Presidency. | | | | constant harassment. On 3 February 1989, |
| However, when three years later Chavez | | | | Stroessner was ousted by a coup d'etat led by |
| attempted to arm the national police, Stroessner | | | | General Andres Rodriguez, Stroessner fled to |
| turned on him and helped overthrow him. In the | | | | Brazil where he lived in exile for over seventeen |
| elections that followed Stroessner was elected as | | | | years. |
| President, he was in and he wasn't to be shifted | | | | |