José Félix Estigarribia Marshal José Félix Estigarribia Insaurralde ( February 21 , 1888 in Caraguatay – September 7 , 1940 in Altos ) was a decorated Paraguayan war hero and President of Paraguay for the Liberal party . Early life . Estigarribia was of humble origin , son of a peasant and silversmith , Mateo Estigarribia , and Casilda Insaurralde . Born in San Roque rural town of Santa Elena , Department of Cordillera , Paraguay . Elementary school was made in his hometown and in 1908 went to study at Trinity College of Agriculture , a college of agriculture . However , after obtaining his diploma , Estigarribia switched careers and in 1910 enlisted in the army with the rank of Lieutenant of Infantry . Career . Educated as an agronomist , he joined the national Army in 1910 and spent time in Chile and in Saint Cyr ' s military academy in France for additional training . He commanded the First Infantry division during the Chaco War and was promoted successively to brigadier , division general , and commander - in - chief of the armed forces . In 1935 , he made a victorious return to Asunción as " Hero of the Chaco War " and was awarded a lifetime pension of 1 , 000 gold pesos a month . He was dismissed from the position of armed forces chief after President Eusebio Ayala was overthrown in the Febrerista revolution by Rafael Franco , but served as Paraguay ' s ambassador to the United States . He completed courses in Chile , from 1911 to 1913 , the Military School of Bernardo O ' Higgins . In 1917 he was promoted to captain . Played an important role in the revolution of 1922 in Paraguay and was later promoted to Major . For their skills was selected to attend the course staff , three - year at the École Supérieure de Guerre at Paris , where he was a disciple of General Maurice Gamelin and Marshal Foch . Estigarribia graduated there with top notes . On his return in 1928 was appointed Chief of Staff of the Army . Less than a year after being named was removed from office because of disagreements with the government regarding the strategy for defending the Chaco , " The Chaco should be advocated abandoning it , " he argued , that is , the point was not occupy the land but to destroy the enemy . However , as the war against Bolivia seemed inevitable , the government decided that Lieutenant Colonel Estigarribia was the man who was needed in the Chaco . He was then 44 years . Small of stature , so peaceful , introspective , or his personality or his austere uniform of campaign - whose sleeves were invariably short - set him apart from the rest of the officers . The definition of the Chaco War would be a war of " communications " , where the handling of space and time would be essential , determined that the Paraguayan government to accept its general mobilization plan and the beginning of the first offensive surprise Paraguay ( September - December 1932 ) before Bolivia could mobilize their resources . Given clear that the army under his command was all that Paraguay with maximum effort could have led a successful military campaign against successive Bolivian army , superior in men and resources , making back to the Rio Parapiti . His strategic thinking about the war of movement , the importance of logistics ( especially water ) , concentration of forces surprise , the passage from the defensive to the offensive and thorough knowledge of the enemy and terrain of operations placed him in a privileged among military drivers between the two world wars . Made the most of the officers under his command and combative and moral virtues of Paraguayan soldier . He directed the Paraguayan army during the first year of war with the rank of colonel . He was promoted to general after the victory of Campo Grande and Pozo Favorite . In recognition of services rendered to the defense of the Chaco was promoted to the rank of marshal after his death in 1940 . Post War . Estigarribia was elected President for a four - year term in 1939 , assuming office on August 15 . Six months later on February 19 , 1940 , Estigarriba dissolved the legislature and suspended the Constitution . Declaring that " our nation is on the edge of horrible anarchy , " he announced that democracy would be restored as soon as a workable constitutional framework could be designed . It turned out to be an empty promise ; within five months , he recast the constitution into a severely authoritarian document that granted sweeping powers to the president . On September 7 , 1940 , Estigarriba and his wife were on a tour of the Paraguayan interior . On a trip from Altos to his country residence in San Bernardinos , his plane crashed in Agapuey and all on board were killed . Estigarribia was succeeded by Higinio Morínigo and posthumously promoted to the rank of marshal . His authoritarian constitution would remain in effect until 1967 .