List of heads of state of Paraguay

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.

List of officeholders

Symbols

^† Died in office

Non-presidential heads of state (1811–1844)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Title
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
–		Bernardo de Velasco (1742–1821) José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (1766–1840) Juan Valeriano de Zevallos	16 May 1811	17 June 1811	32 days	Governor Intendants
–		Fulgencio Yegros (1780–1821)	17 June 1811	12 October 1813	2 years, 117 days	President of the Superior Governing Junta
–		José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (1766–1840)	12 October 1813	12 February 1814	1 year, 123 days	Consul of the Republic
–		Fulgencio Yegros (1780–1821)	12 February 1814	12 June 1814	120 days	Consul of the Republic
–		José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (1766–1840)	12 June 1814	3 October 1814	26 years, 100 days	Consul of the Republic
			3 October 1814	30 May 1816		Supreme Dictator
			30 May 1816	20 September 1840[†]		Perpetual Dictator
–		Manuel Antonio Ortiz (?–?)	20 September 1840	21 January 1841	32 days	President of the Provisional Junta
–		Juan José Medina José Gabriel Benítez José Domingo Ocampos	21 January 1841	9 February 1841	19 days	Triumvirate
–		Mariano Roque Alonso (1792–1853)	9 February 1841	12 March 1841	31 days	General Commander of Arms
–		Carlos Antonio López (1792–1862) Mariano Roque Alonso (1792–1853)	12 March 1841	13 March 1844	3 years, 1 day	Consuls of the Republic

Presidents (1844–present)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party	Vice president(s)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Carlos Antonio López (1792–1862)	—	13 March 1844	10 September 1862[†]	18 years, 181 days	Independent	Mariano González Vacant from 1846 to 1862 Francisco Solano López
2		Francisco Solano López (1827–1870)	—	10 September 1862	1 March 1870 (Killed in action)	7 years, 172 days	Independent	Domingo Francisco Sánchez
3		Facundo Machaín (1845–1877)	—	31 August 1870	1 September 1870	1 day	Independent	Vacant throughout presidency
4		Cirilo Antonio Rivarola (1832–1878)	1870	1 September 1870	18 December 1871	1 year, 93 days	Independent	Cayo Miltos Salvador Jovellanos
5		Salvador Jovellanos (1833–1881)	—	18 December 1871	25 November 1874	2 years, 342 days	Independent	Vacant throughout presidency
6		Juan Baustista Gill (1840–1877)	1874	25 November 1874	12 April 1877	2 years, 138 days	Independent	Higinio Uriarte
7		Higinio Uriarte (1843–1909)	—	12 April 1877	25 November 1878	1 year, 227 days	Independent	Vacant throughout presidency
8		Cándido Bareiro (1834–1880)	1878	25 November 1878	4 September 1880[†]	1 year, 284 days	Independent	Adolfo Saguier
9		Bernardino Caballero (1839–1912)	— 1882	4 September 1880	25 November 1886	6 years, 82 days	Independent	Vacant Juan Antonio Jara
10		Patricio Escobar (1843–1912)	1886	25 November 1886	25 November 1890	4 years	Independent (until 1887)	José del Rosario Miranda
							Colorado
11		Juan Gualberto González (1851–1912)	1890	25 November 1890	9 June 1894	3 years, 196 days	Colorado	Marcos Morínigo
12		Marcos Morínigo (1848–1901)	—	9 June 1894	25 November 1894	169 days	Colorado	Vacant throughout presidency
13		Juan Bautista Egusquiza (1845–1902)	1894	25 November 1894	25 November 1898	4 years	Colorado	Facundo Ynsfrán Caballero
14		Emilio Aceval (1851–1931)	1898	25 November 1898	9 January 1902	3 years, 45 days	Colorado	Andrés Héctor Carvallo
15		Andrés Héctor Carvallo (1862–1934)	—	9 January 1902	25 November 1902	320 days	Colorado	Vacant throughout presidency
16		Juan Antonio Escurra (1859–1929)	1902	25 November 1902	19 December 1904	2 years, 24 days	Colorado	Manuel Domínguez
17		Juan Bautista Gaona (1845–1932)	—	19 December 1904	9 December 1905	355 days	Liberal	Vacant throughout presidency
18		Cecilio Báez (1862–1941)	—	9 December 1905	25 November 1906	351 days	Liberal	Vacant throughout presidency
19		Benigno Ferreira (1846–1920)	1906	25 November 1906	4 July 1908	1 year, 222 days	Liberal	Emiliano González Navero
20		Emiliano González Navero (1861–1841)	—	4 July 1908	25 November 1910	2 years, 144 days	Liberal	Vacant throughout presidency
21		Manuel Gondra (1872–1927)	1910	25 November 1910	17 January 1911	53 days	Liberal	Juan Bautista Gaona
22		Albino Jara (1877–1912)	—	17 January 1911	5 July 1911	169 days	Liberal	Vacant throughout presidency
23		Liberato Marcial Rojas (1870–1922)	—	5 July 1911	28 February 1912	238 days	Liberal	Vacant throughout presidency
24		Pedro Pablo Peña (1864–1943)	—	28 February 1912	22 March 1912	23 days	Colorado	Vacant throughout presidency
(20)		Emiliano González Navero (1861–1841)	—	22 March 1912	15 August 1912	146 days	Liberal	Vacant throughout presidency
25		Eduardo Schaerer (1873–1941)	1912	15 August 1912	15 August 1916	4 years	Liberal	Pedro Bobadilla
26		Manuel Franco (1871–1919)	1916	15 August 1916	5 June 1919[†]	2 years, 294 days	Liberal	José Pedro Montero
27		José Pedro Montero (1878–1927)	—	5 June 1919	15 August 1920	1 year, 71 days	Liberal	Vacant throughout presidency
(21)		Manuel Gondra (1872–1927)	1920	15 August 1920	7 November 1921	1 year, 84 days	Liberal	Félix Paiva
28		Eusebio Ayala (1875–1942)	—	7 November 1921	12 April 1923	1 year, 156 days	Liberal	Vacant throughout presidency
29		Eligio Ayala (1878–1930)	—	12 April 1923	17 March 1924	340 days	Liberal	Vacant throughout presidency
30		Luis Alberto Riart (1880–1953)	—	17 March 1924	15 August 1924	151 days	Liberal	Vacant throughout presidency
(29)		Eligio Ayala (1878–1930)	1924	15 August 1924	15 August 1928	4 years	Liberal	Manuel Burgos
31		José Patricio Guggiari (1884–1957)	1928	15 August 1928	15 August 1932	4 years	Liberal	Emiliano González Navero
(28)		Eusebio Ayala (1875–1942)	1932	15 August 1932	17 February 1936	3 years, 186 days	Liberal	Raúl Casal Ribeiro
32		Rafael Franco (1896–1973)	—	17 February 1936	15 August 1937	1 year, 179 days	Independent	Vacant throughout presidency
33		Félix Paiva (1877–1965)	—	15 August 1937	15 August 1939	2 years	Liberal	Vacant throughout presidency
34		José Félix Estigarribia (1888–1940)	1939	15 August 1939	7 September 1940[†]	1 year, 23 days	Liberal	Luis Alberto Riart Position abolished
							Independent (from 1940)
35		Higinio Morínigo (1897–1983)	— 1943	7 September 1940	3 June 1948	7 years, 270 days	Independent	Position abolished
36		Juan Manuel Frutos (1879–1960)	—	3 June 1948	15 August 1948	73 days	Colorado	Position abolished
37		Juan Natalicio González (1897–1966)	1948	15 August 1948	30 January 1949	168 days	Colorado	Position abolished
38		Raimundo Rolón (1903–1981)	—	30 January 1949	26 February 1949	27 days	Colorado	Position abolished
39		Felipe Molas López (1901–1954)	— 1949	26 February 1949	11 September 1949	197 days	Colorado	Position abolished
40		Federico Chaves (1882–1978)	— 1950 1953	11 September 1949	4 May 1954	4 years, 235 days	Colorado	Position abolished
41		Tomás Romero Pereira (1886–1982)	—	4 May 1954	15 August 1954	103 days	Colorado	Position abolished
42		Alfredo Stroessner (1912–2006)	1954 1958 1963 1968 1973 1978 1983 1988	15 August 1954	3 February 1989	34 years, 172 days	Colorado	Position abolished
43		Andrés Rodríguez (1923–1997)	1989	3 February 1989	15 August 1993	4 years, 193 days	Colorado	Position abolished
44		Juan Carlos Wasmosy (b. 1938)	1993	15 August 1993	15 August 1998	5 years	Colorado	Ángel Seifart
45		Raúl Cubas (b. 1943)	1998	15 August 1998	28 March 1999	225 days	Colorado	Luis María Argaña
46		Luis González Macchi (b. 1947)	—	28 March 1999	15 August 2003	4 years, 140 days	Colorado	Vacant Julio César Franco Vacant
47		Nicanor Duarte (b. 1956)	2003	15 August 2003	15 August 2008	5 years	Colorado	Luis Castiglioni Francisco Oviedo
48		Fernando Lugo (b. 1951)	2008	15 August 2008	22 June 2012	3 years, 312 days	Christian Democrat (APC)	Federico Franco
49		Federico Franco (b. 1962)	—	22 June 2012	15 August 2013	1 year, 54 days	Liberal	Oscar Denis
50		Horacio Cartes (b. 1956)	2013	15 August 2013	15 August 2018	5 years	Colorado	Juan Afara Alicia Pucheta
51		Mario Abdo (b. 1971)	2018	15 August 2018	15 August 2023	5 years	Colorado	Hugo Velázquez
52		Santiago Peña (b. 1978)	2023	15 August 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 98 days	Colorado	Pedro Alliana

Timeline

See also

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

External links

• (in Spanish) Presidency of the Republic of Paraguay