# 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 | Term of office | Term of office | Title |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Title |
| – | | 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 |
| – | | José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (1766–1840) | 3 October 1814 | 30 May 1816 | 26 years, 100 days | Supreme Dictator |
| – | | José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (1766–1840) | 30 May 1816 | 20 September 1840 | 26 years, 100 days | 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 | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Vice president(s) |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Vice president(s) |
| 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 |
| | | Patricio Escobar (1843–1912) | 1886 | 25 November 1886 | 25 November 1890 | 4 years | Colorado | José del Rosario Miranda |
| 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 |
| | | José Félix Estigarribia (1888–1940) | 1939 | 15 August 1939 | 7 September 1940 | 1 year, 23 days | Independent (from 1940) | Luis Alberto Riart Position abolished |
| 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 (Guión Rojo) | 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, 195 days | Colorado | Pedro Alliana |