List of heads of state of Paraguay facts for kids

This article contains a list of heads of state of Paraguay since the beginning of its independence (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, who ruled the country from 1814 until his death in 1840, with very little outside contact or influence.

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 changed 44 presidents; 24 of them were removed from power by force. 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 from power in the 1989 coup d'état. His 35-year-long rule was one of the longest in history by a non-royal leader.

Non-presidential heads of state (1811–1844)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Notes
–		Bernardo de Velasco José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia Juan Valeriano de Zevallos	16 May 1811	17 June 1811	Governor Intendants.
–		Fulgencio Yegros (1780–1821)	17 June 1811	12 October 1813	President of the Superior Governing Junta.
–		José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (1766–1840)	12 October 1813	12 February 1814	Consul of the Republic.
–		Fulgencio Yegros (1780–1821)	12 February 1814	12 June 1814	Consul of the Republic.
–		José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (1766–1840)	12 June 1814	3 October 1814	Consul of the Republic.
			3 October 1814	30 May 1816	Supreme Dictator.
			30 May 1816	20 September 1840	Perpetual Dictator. Died in office.
–		Manuel Antonio Ortiz (?–?)	20 September 1840	21 January 1841	President of the Provisional Junta.
–		Juan José Medina José Gabriel Benítez José Domingo Ocampos	21 January 1841	9 February 1841	Triumvirate.
–		Mariano Roque Alonso (1792–1853)	9 February 1841	12 March 1841	General Commander of Arms.
–		Carlos Antonio López Mariano Roque Alonso	12 March 1841	13 March 1844	Consuls of the Republic.

Presidents (1844–present)

List of presidents of the United States from 1789 – till date.

No.	Portrait	Name	Term	Party		Election	Vice President
1		Carlos Antonio López (1792–1862)	13 March 1844 – 10 September 1862		Unaffiliated	–	Mariano González Vacant from 1846 to 1862 Francisco Solano López
2		Francisco Solano López (1827–1870)	10 September 1862 – 1 March 1870		Unaffiliated	–	Domingo Francisco Sánchez
3		Facundo Machaín (1845–1877)	31 August 1870 – September 1, 1870		Unaffiliated	–	Vacant throughout presidency
4		Cirilo Antonio Rivarola (1832–1878)	1 September 1870 – 18 December 1871		Unaffiliated	1870	Cayo Miltos Salvador Jovellanos
5		Salvador Jovellanos (1833–1881)	18 December 1871 – November 25, 1874		Unaffiliated	–	Vacant throughout presidency
6		Juan Baustista Gill (1840–1877)	25 November 1874 – 12 April 1877		Unaffiliated	1874	Higinio Uriarte
7		Higinio Uriarte (1843–1909)	12 April 1877 – 25 November 1878		Unaffiliated	–	Vacant throughout presidency
8		Cándido Bareiro (1834–1880)	25 November 1878 – 4 September 1880		Unaffiliated	1878	Adolfo Saguier
9		Bernardino Caballero (1839–1912)	4 September 1880 – 25 November 1886		Unaffiliated	– 1882	Vacant Juan Antonio Jara
10		Patricio Escobar (1843–1912)	25 November 1886 – 25 November 1890		Colorado (from 1887)	1886	José del Rosario Miranda
11		Juan Gualberto González (1851–1912)	25 November 1890 – 9 June 1894		Colorado	1890	Marcos Morínigo
12		Marcos Morínigo (1848–1901)	9 June 1894 – 25 November 1894		Colorado	–	Vacant throughout presidency
13		Juan Bautista Egusquiza (1845–1902)	25 November 1894 – 25 November 1898		Colorado	1894	Facundo Ynsfrán Caballero
14		Emilio Aceval (1851–1931)	25 November 1898 – 9 January 1902		Colorado	1898	Andrés Héctor Carvallo
15		Andrés Héctor Carvallo (1862–1934)	9 January 1902 – 25 November 1902		Colorado	–	Vacant throughout presidency
16		Juan Antonio Escurra (1859–1929)	25 November 1902 – 19 December 1904		Colorado	1902	Manuel Domínguez
17		Juan Bautista Gaona (1845–1932)	19 December 1904 – 9 December 1905		Liberal	–	Vacant throughout presidency
18		Cecilio Báez (1862–1941)	9 December 1905 – 25 November 1906		Liberal	–	Vacant throughout presidency
19		Benigno Ferreira (1846–1920)	25 November 1806 – 4 July 1908		Liberal	1806	Emiliano González Navero
20		Emiliano González Navero (1861–1841)	4 July 1908 – 25 November 1910		Liberal	–	Vacant throughout presidency
21		Manuel Gondra (1872–1927)	25 November 1910 – 17 January 1911		Liberal	1910	Juan Bautista Gaona
22		Albino Jara (1877–1912)	17 January 1911 – 5 July 1911		Liberal	–	Vacant throughout presidency
23		Liberato Marcial Rojas (1870–1922)	5 July 1911 – 28 February 1912		Liberal	–	Vacant throughout presidency
24		Pedro Pablo Peña (1864–1943)	28 February 1912 – 22 March 1912		Colorado	–	Vacant throughout presidency
(20)		Emiliano González Navero (1861–1841)	22 March 1912 – 15 August 1912		Liberal	–	Vacant throughout presidency
25		Eduardo Schaerer (1873–1941)	15 August 1912 – 15 August 1916		Liberal	1912	Pedro Bobadilla
26		Manuel Franco (1871–1919)	15 August 1916 – 5 June 1919		Liberal	1916	José Pedro Montero
27		José Pedro Montero (1878–1927)	5 June 1919 – 15 August 1920		Liberal	–	Vacant throughout presidency
(21)		Manuel Gondra (1872–1927)	15 August 1920 – 7 November 1921		Liberal	1920	Félix Paiva
28		Eusebio Ayala (1875–1942)	7 November 1921 – 12 April 1923		Liberal	–	Vacant throughout presidency
29		Eligio Ayala (1878–1930)	12 April 1923 – 17 March 1924		Liberal	–	Vacant throughout presidency
30		Luis Alberto Riart (1880–1953)	17 March 1924 – 15 August 1924		Liberal	–	Vacant throughout presidency
(29)		Eligio Ayala (1878–1930)	15 August 1924 – 15 August 1928		Liberal	1924	Manuel Burgos
31		José Patricio Guggiari (1884–1957)	15 August 1928 – 15 August 1932		Liberal	1928	Emiliano González Navero
(28)		Eusebio Ayala (1875–1942)	15 August 1932 – 17 February 1936		Liberal	1932	Raúl Casal Ribeiro
32		Rafael Franco (1896–1973)	17 February 1936 – 15 August 1937		Unaffiliated	–	Vacant throughout presidency
33		Félix Paiva (1877–1965)	15 August 1937 – 15 August 1939		Liberal	–	Vacant throughout presidency
34		José Félix Estigarribia (1888–1940)	15 August 1939 – 7 September 1940		Unaffiliated (from 1940)	1939	Luis Alberto Riart Position abolished
35		Higinio Morínigo (1897–1983)	7 September 1940 – 3 June 1948		Unaffiliated	– 1943	Position abolished
36		Juan Manuel Frutos (1879–1960)	3 June 1948 – 15 August 1948		Colorado	–	Position abolished
37		Juan Natalicio González (1897–1966)	15 August 1948 – 30 January 1949		Colorado	1948	Position abolished
38		Raimundo Rolón (1903–1981)	30 January 1949 – 26 February 1949		Colorado	–	Position abolished
39		Felipe Molas López (1901–1954)	26 February 1949 – 11 September 1949		Colorado	– 1949	Position abolished
40		Federico Chaves (1882–1978)	11 September 1949 – 4 May 1954		Colorado	– 1950 1953	Position abolished
41		Tomás Romero Pereira (1886–1982)	4 May 1954 – 15 August 1954		Colorado	–	Position abolished
42		Alfredo Stroessner (1912–2006)	15 August 1954 – 3 February 1989		Colorado	1954 1958 1963 1968 1973 1978 1983 1988	Position abolished
43		Andrés Rodríguez (1923–1997)	3 February 1989 – 15 August 1993		Colorado	1989	Position abolished
44		Juan Carlos Wasmosy (b. 1938)	15 August 1993 – 15 August 1998		Colorado	1993	Ángel Seifart
45		Raúl Cubas (b. 1943)	15 August 1998 – 28 March 1999		Colorado	1998	Luis María Argaña
46		Luis González Macchi (b. 1947)	28 March 1999 – 15 August 2003		Colorado	–	Vacant Julio César Franco Vacant
47		Nicanor Duarte Frutos (b. 1956)	15 August 2003 – 15 August 2008		Colorado	2003	Luis Castiglioni Francisco Oviedo
48		Fernando Lugo (b. 1951)	15 August 2008 – 22 June 2012		Christian Democrat (APC)	2008	Federico Franco
49		Federico Franco (b. 1962)	22 June 2012 – 15 August 2013		Liberal	–	Oscar Denis
50		Horacio Cartes (b. 1956)	15 August 2013 – 15 August 2018		Colorado	2013	Juan Afara Alicia Pucheta
51		Mario Abdo (b. 1971)	15 August 2018 – 15 August 2023		Colorado	2018	Hugo Velázquez
52		Santiago Peña (b. 1978)	15 August 2023 – Incumbent		Colorado	2023	Pedro Alliana

Timeline

See also

• President of Paraguay
• History of Paraguay
• Politics of Paraguay