Citizendia
Your Ad Here

Alfredo Stroessner
Alfredo Stroessner
President of Paraguay
In office
August 15, 1954 – February 3, 1989
Preceded by Tomás Romero
"Interim President"
Succeeded by Andrés Rodríguez
Born November 3, 1912(1912-11-03)
Encarnación, Paraguay
Died August 16, 2006 (aged 93)
Brasília, Brazil
Nationality Paraguayan
Political party Colorado Party
Spouse Eligia Mora[1]

Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda, whose name is also spelled Strössner or Strößner (November 3, 1912, Encarnación - August 16, 2006, Brasília) served as President of Paraguay from 1954 to 1989. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Tomás Romero Pereira ( 1886 - 1982) was President of Paraguay from May 5, 1954 to August 15, 1954. Andrés Rodríguez Pedotti ( June 19, 1923 - April 21, 1997) was the President of Paraguay from February 3, Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Encarnación is a city in southeastern Paraguay. It is situated 235 miles south-east of the capital Asunción on the Paraná River, opposite the Argentine Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The National Republican Association – Colorado Party ( Asociación Nacional Republicana – Partido Colorado, ANR-PC is a Political party in Paraguay, Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Encarnación is a city in southeastern Paraguay. It is situated 235 miles south-east of the capital Asunción on the Paraná River, opposite the Argentine Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar)

Contents

Early life

Stroessner's parents were Hugo Strößner, who emigrated from Hof, Bavaria, Germany and worked as an accountant for a brewery, and Heriberta Matiauda, who grew up in a wealthy Paraguayan family. Hof is a city located on the banks of the Saale in the northeastern corner of the German state of Bavaria, in the Franconia region at the Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only He joined the Paraguayan army in 1929, becoming a lieutenant in 1931. The armed forces of Paraguay consist of the Paraguayan Army, Navy (including Naval aviation and Marine corps) and Air force Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. During the Chaco War against Bolivia (1932-1935) he enlisted as an artillery cadet and was a very good fighter in the epic battle of Boquerón, after the war, he rose steadily in rank and eventually became a brigadier and the youngest general officer in South America in 1948. The Chaco War (1932&ndash1935 was fought between Bolivia and Paraguay over control of a great part of the Gran Chaco region of South America The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. This article refers to the military rank For the Doctor Who character known as the Brigadier see Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Presidency

Stroessner objected to President Federico Chávez' plans to arm the national police and threw him out of office in a coup d'état on May 4, 1954. Dr Federico Chávez Careaga ( February 15, 1882 - April 24, 1978) was a Paraguayan Politician and Soldier who Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) After a brief interim presidency by Tomás Romero, Stroessner was the only candidate in a special election on July 11 to complete Chávez' term. Tomás Romero Pereira ( 1886 - 1982) was President of Paraguay from May 5, 1954 to August 15, 1954. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. He was reelected eight times--in 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, and 1988. He appeared alone on the ballot in 1958. In his other elections, he won by implausibly high margins (well over 80 percent in many cases), raising allegations that they were merely show elections. A show election or a sham election is an Election that is held purely for show that is without any significant political purpose He served for 35 years, with only Fidel Castro having a longer tenure among 20th century Latin American leaders. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13 1926 is a Cuban revolutionary leader who was prime minister of Cuba from December 1959 to December 1976 and then president until The twentieth century of the Common Era began on

Soon after taking office, Stroessner declared a State of emergency and suspended constitutional freedoms. A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors or order government agencies It was renewed every 90 days for the rest of his term, and was only lifted during elections. A devoted anti-Communist, he justified this action as a necessary tool to protect the country. Anti-communism refers to opposition to Communism. Historically the word "communism" has been used to refer to several types of communal social organization and

Stroessner's strong anti-communism made him a friend to United States interests for most of his rule. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The government's human rights record was considered particularly poor. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Stroessner supported the U.S. invasion of Dominican Republic. [2] and even offered to send troops to support the U. S. in Vietnam. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia [3]

His regime is also blamed for torture, kidnappings and corruption, of which the "terror archives", discovered in 1992 in Lambaré suburb of Asunción, gave proof; he did not dispute charges of corruption at some levels in his government. Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally In Criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or Asportation of a person against the person's will usually to hold the person in False imprisonment Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain The "Archives of Terror" (Archivos del Terror were found on December 22, 1992 by a lawyer Dr Lambaré is a city in Central Department, Paraguay, part of the Gran Asunción metropolitan area Asunción (full name Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción) population 1212112 (2002 is the Capital and largest city of Paraguay. [4] He did become more tolerant of opposition as the years passed, but there was no change in the regime's basic character.

Strong Paraguayan-U. S. relations continued until the Carter Administration emphasized a foreign policy that recognized human rights abuses. James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr (born October 1 1924 was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 and the recipient of the 2002 The Reagan Administration boycotted the country as well. The United States Presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan Administration, was a Republican administration headed by [5]

During Stroessner's rule, no Communist nations had embassies in Paraguay, with the sole exception of non-aligned Yugoslavia. Communist state is a term used by many Political scientists to describe a Form of government in which the State operates under a one-party system A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one State or an international Inter-governmental organization (such as the United Nations) present in The Non-Aligned Movement ( NAM) is an International organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian: [6] He was respected for his success in repaying loans granted to the Paraguayan government by the World Bank and other institutions. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e

Stroessner, an energetic leader, began his day at 4 a. m. by giving orders from his bed and going to work in the government palace no later than 6 a. m. Although he took a three-hour break at mid-day, Stroessner reportedly worked until 1 a. m. He never took holidays off work while President.

Stroessner made many state visits, including to Emperor Hirohito of Japan, President Lyndon Johnson of the United States, President Charles de Gaulle of France and several visits to West Germany, although over the years his relations with West Germany deteriorated. The of Japan is the country's Monarch. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. also known as, (April 29 1901 – January 7 1989 was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order reigning from December 25 1926 until his death For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ( 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French General and statesman who led the Free French This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( Since he had always been known as pro-German, this worsening of relations, combined with his feeling that the U. S. had abandoned him, were regarded as personal blows to Stroessner.

President Stroessner. Stamp Scott no. 1452
President Stroessner. Stamp Scott no. 1452

Some maintain that the Catholic Church is the only reason Stroessner did not have absolute control over the country. [7] After the destruction of Asunción University in 1972 by police, the Archbishop of Paraguay Ismael Rolón Silvero excommunicated the minister of the interior and the chief of police, and proscribed the celebration of Holy Mass in a sign of protest against the Stroessner regime. The Universidad Nacional de Asunción is a public university in Paraguay. In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated Bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others this means that they lead The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. When Pope John Paul II visited Paraguay in 1988, his visit bolstered what was already a robust anti-Stroessner movement within the country. Pope [8]

Economics

Stroessner was known for several positive economic policies, including the building of the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world in Itaipu, developing Paraguay's economy: although Paraguay received only 15% of the contracts, it was a major factor allowing the country to have the highest rate of growth in Latin America for most of the 1970s. Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water A power station (also referred to as generating station, power plant or powerhouse) is an industrial facility for the generation of Itaipu ( Guarani: Itaipu, Portuguese: Itaipu, Spanish: Itaipú; itaiˈpu is a hydroelectric dam on The economy of Paraguay is marked by the dominance of the farming commercial and service sectors This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. [9]

Stroessner also dedicated large proportions of the Paraguayan national budget to the military and police apparatus, both fundamental to the maintenance of the regime. According to a 1963 article from TIME Magazine, Stroessner spent 33% of the 1962 annual budget on army and police, 15% for education, and 2% for public works. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Historically Paraguay has not valued Education highly During Alfredo Stroessner Mattiauda ’s presidency (1954–89 education initiatives Public works are the construction or engineering projects carried out by the State on behalf of the Community. [10]

Furthermore the construction of the Itaipu Dam, as well as the subsequently built Yacyretá Dam on the Paraguay-Argentina Border, displaced thousands of Paraguayans, pushing them from their home, often without any restitution. The Hydroelectric Power Station Jasyretâ-Apipé (from Guaraní language jasy retâ that means “country of the Moon ” is the Hydroelectric central built over the waterfalls The Itaipu Dam displaced at least 80,000 Paraguayans, and the Yacyretá will have displaced at least that many by December of 2008.

Stroessner was also known for many infrastructure projects that improved the country's highway system. Another programme that Stroessner supported was the granting of twenty hectares of arable lands for a nominal price to any soldier who completed military service, provided that the soldier would use the land for farming purposes. Over 10,000 soldiers took up this offer.

Downfall

On February 3, 1989, only a few months after being elected to his ninth full term, Stroessner was ousted by a coup d'état led by General Andrés Rodríguez, who had been his friend and comrade-in-arms for many years. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Andrés Rodríguez Pedotti ( June 19, 1923 - April 21, 1997) was the President of Paraguay from February 3, The bonds between the Stroessner and Rodríguez families included the marriage of Stroessner's son to Rodríguez' daughter. After the coup, Stroessner fled to Brazil, where he lived in exile for the next seventeen and a half years. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

The eastern city Puerto Flor de Lis, which had been renamed Puerto Presidente Stroessner in his honor, in 1989 was again renamed Ciudad del Este. Ciudad del Este (Spanish for City of the East is the capital of Alto Paraná department of Paraguay, located at the Rio Paraná at. Asuncion's airport had been named after him during his regime, but was later renamed Silvio Pettirossi International Airport. Asunción (full name Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción) population 1212112 (2002 is the Capital and largest city of Paraguay. Silvio Pettirossi International Airport is Paraguay 's main national and international gateway located at Luque, suburb of the capital Asunción.

Paraguayans remain divided on Stroessner and his controversial legacy. Most feel a strong sense of distaste toward him, perceiving him as a widely corrupt, authoritarian dictator. Those who defend his legacy cite the political stability and economic progress that prevailed under his rule, despite the gross violations to human rights that his regime promoted and encovered, such as the infamous Operation Condor. For other uses of Operation Condor please see Operation Condor (disambiguation Operation Condor (Operación Cóndor Operação Condor was a campaign

Stroessner died of a lung complication on August 16, 2006, in Brasília, at the age of 93. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau The immediate cause of death was a stroke. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain He had been suffering from pneumonia after undergoing an earlier hernia operation. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal A hernia is a protrusion of a tissue, structure or part of an organ through the muscular tissue or the membrane by which it is normally contained [11] The Paraguayan government preemptively dismissed any suggestions for honoring the late president within Paraguay. [12] He tried to manage a return to Paraguay before his death, so he could die in his homeland, but he was rebuked and threatened with arrest by the government.

By coincidence, on the very day of his death, the "Museum of Memory" was opened at the place where Stroessner's Dirección Nacional de Asuntos Técnicos (better known as 'la Técnica') operated its clandestine torture centre from 1956. [13]

Footnotes

  1. ^ The Guardian: "General Alfredo Stroessner - Dictator who mastered the fixing of elections and made Paraguay a smugglers' paradise"
  2. ^ Paraguay: A Country Study, "International Factors and the Economy"
  3. ^ Washington Post Obituary: "Alfredo Stroessner; Paraguayan Dictator"
  4. ^ Servihoo.com: "Stroessner, among South America's longest-serving dictators, dies"
  5. ^ Paraguay: A Country Study, "The United States"
  6. ^ Paraguay: A Country Study, "Foreign Relations"
  7. ^ Paraguay: A Country Study, "Interest Groups: The Roman Catholic Church"
  8. ^ New York Sun Obituaries: "Alfredo Stroessner, 93, Old-Style Military Dictator of Paraguay"
  9. ^ The Economist Obituary: Alfredo Stroessner
  10. ^ Dictator by Popular Request, TIME Magazine, February 22, 1963
  11. ^ MSNBC.com: "Ex-Paraguayan dictator Stroessner dies at 93"
  12. ^ BBC: "Ex-Paraguayan ruler dies in exile"
  13. ^ Stroessner's Death Closes Dark Chapter of History, by Raúl Pierri

External links

Sources

Preceded by
Tomás Romero		 President of Paraguay
1954–1989		 Succeeded by
Andrés Rodríguez
Tomás Romero Pereira ( 1886 - 1982) was President of Paraguay from May 5, 1954 to August 15, 1954. Andrés Rodríguez Pedotti ( June 19, 1923 - April 21, 1997) was the President of Paraguay from February 3,
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic