President of Paraguay

The President of Paraguay () is according to the Constitution of Paraguay the head of the executive branch of the Government of Paraguay, both head of state and head of government.

The President is limited to a single five-year term. it was ultimately rejected.

The Presidential seat is the Palacio de los López, in Asunción. The Presidential residence is the Mburuvichá Roga, also in Asunción.

Once Presidents leave office, they are granted by the Constitution of Paraguay the speaking-but-non-voting position of Senator for life.Constitution of the Republic of Paraguay, 1992, Article 189 (subsection 1): "(1) Former presidents of the Republic who were democratically elected will be national senators for life, except for those who were impeached from office.
(2) They will not count toward a quorum.  They will have the right to speak, but not to vote."

The current President of Paraguay is Santiago Peña, since 15 August 2023. He was elected in 2023.

List of heads of state of Paraguay (1811–present)

Non-presidential heads of state (1811–1844)
No.PortraitName(Birth–Death)Term of officeNotes1  2  3Bernardo de VelascoJosé Gaspar Rodríguez de FranciaJuan Valeriano de Zevallos16 May 181117 June 1811Governor Intendants.4100pxFulgencio Yegros(1780–1821)17 June 181112 October 1813President of the Superior Governing Junta.5100pxJosé Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia(1766–1840)12 October 181312 February 1814Consul of the Republic.4100pxFulgencio Yegros(1780–1821)12 February 181412 June 1814Consul of the Republic.6100pxJosé Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia(1766–1840)12 June 18143 October 1814Consul of the Republic.3 October 181430 May 1816Supreme Dictator.30 May 181620 September 1840Perpetual Dictator. Died in office.7Manuel Antonio Ortiz(?–?)20 September 184021 January 1841President of the Provisional Junta.8   9     10Juan José MedinaJosé Gabriel BenítezJosé Campos21 January 18419 February 1841Triumvirate.11Mariano Roque Alonzo(?–1853)9 February 184112 March 1841General Commander of Arms.12|Carlos Antonio LópezMariano Roque Alonzo12 March 184113 March 1844Consuls of the Republic.

Presidents (1844–present)

No.PortraitName(Birth–Death)Term of officePartyElectionNotes Vice President13100pxCarlos Antonio López(1792–1862)13 March 184413 March 1854——Elected by the Congress for a term of ten years.rowspan=8 13 March 185413 March 1857—Elected by the Congress for a term of three years.13 March 185710 September 1862—Elected by the Congress for a term of ten years. Died in office.14100pxFrancisco Solano López(1827–1870)10 September 186216 October 1862——Interim President appointed by the Congress.16 October 18621 March 1870—Elected by the Congress for a term of ten years. Killed in the Paraguayan War.15    16    17Cirilo Antonio RivarolaCarlos LoizagaJosé Díaz de Bedoya15 August 186931 August 1870——Triumvirate proclaimed by the occupying forces of the Triple Alliance.18100pxFacundo Machaín(1845–1877)31 August 18701 September 1870——Interim President appointed by the Congress. Deposed in a coup.19100pxCirilo Antonio Rivarola(1836–1878)1 September 187025 November 1870——Interim President appointed by the Congress after a coup.25 November 187018 December 18711870Resigned.Cayo MiltosSalvador Jovellanos20100pxSalvador Jovellanos(1833–1881)18 December 187125 November 1874——Vice President under Cirilo Antonio Rivarola, assumed the presidency after his resignation. Finished the presidential period 1870-1874.21100pxJuan Bautista Gill(1840–1877)25 November 187412 April 1877—1874Assassinated.Higinio Uriarte22100pxHiginio Uriarte(1843–1909)12 April 187725 November 1878——Vice President under Juan Bautista Gill, assumed the presidency after his assassination. Finished the presidential period 1874-1878.23100pxCándido Bareiro(1833–1880)25 November 18784 September 1880—1878Died in office.Adolfo Saguier24100pxBernardino Caballero(1839–1912)4 September 188025 November 1882——Interim President appointed by the Congress after the Vice President under Bareiro, Adolfo Saguier, and next president in the succession line, was forced to resign by the military. Finished the presidential period 1878-1882.25 November 188225 November 18861882Juan Antonio Jara25100pxPatricio Escobar(1843–1912)25 November 188625 November 1890ANR-Colorado1886José del Rosario Miranda26100pxJuan Gualberto González(1851–1912)25 November 18909 June 1894ANR-Colorado1890Forced to resign by a coup.Marcos Morínigo27100pxMarcos Morínigo(1848–1901)9 June 189425 November 1894ANR-Colorado—Vice President under Juan Gualberto González, assumed the presidency after his resignation. Finished the presidential period 1890-1894.28100pxJuan Bautista Egusquiza(1845–1902)25 November 189425 November 1898ANR-Colorado1894Facundo Ynsfrán Caballero29100pxEmilio Aceval(1853–1931)25 November 18989 January 1902ANR-Colorado1898Forced to resign by a coup.Andrés Héctor Carvallo30100pxAndrés Héctor Carvallo(1862–1934)9 January 190225 November 1902ANR-Colorado—Vice President under Emilio Aceval, assumed the presidency after his resignation. Finished the presidential period 1898-1902.31100pxJuan Antonio Escurra(1859–1929)25 November 190219 December 1904ANR-Colorado1902Deposed in a coup.Manuel Domínguez32Juan Bautista Gaona(1845–1932)19 December 19049 December 1905Liberal—Interim President appointed by the Congress after Escurra and his Vice President, Manuel Domínguez, resigned in the coup. Deposed in a coup.rowspan=2 33100pxCecilio Báez(1862–1941)9 December 190525 November 1906Liberal—Interim President appointed by the Congress. Finished the presidential period 1902-1906.34100pxBenigno Ferreira(1946–1920)25 November 19064 July 1908Liberal1906Deposed in a coup.Emiliano González Navero35100pxEmiliano González Navero(1861–1934)4 July 190825 November 1910Liberal—Vice President under Benigno Ferreira, assumed the presidency after the coup. Finished the presidential period 1906-1910. First term.36100pxManuel Gondra(1871–1927)25 November 191017 January 1911Liberal1910First term. Deposed in a coup.Juan Bautista Gaona37Albino Jara(1877–1912)17 January 19115 July 1911Liberal—De facto president after a coup. Resigned.rowspan=6 38100pxLiberato Marcial Rojas(1870–1922)5 July 191114 January 1912Liberal—Interim President appointed by the Congress. Deposed in a coup.39   40    41100px100pxMarcos Caballero CodasMario UscherAlfredo Aponte14 January 191217 January 1912——De facto triumvirate after a coup.38100pxLiberato Marcial Rojas(1870–1922)17 January 191228 February 1912Liberal—Restoration of its original mandate. Deposed in a coup.42100pxPedro Pablo Peña(1864–1943)28 February 191222 March 1912ANR-Colorado—Interim President appointed by the Congress.  Deposed in a coup.35100pxEmiliano González Navero(1861–1934)22 March 191215 August 1912Liberal—Interim President appointed by the Congress. Second term.43100pxEduardo Schaerer(1873–1941)15 August 191215 August 1916Liberal1912Pedro Bobadilla44100pxManuel Franco(1871–1919)15 August 19165 June 1919Liberal1916Died in office.José Pedro Montero45100pxJosé Pedro Montero(1878–1927)5 June 191915 August 1920Liberal—Vice President under Manuel Franco, assumed the presidency after his death. Finished the presidential period 1916-1920.36100pxManuel Gondra(1871–1927)15 August 192029 October 1921Liberal1920Second term. Resigned.Félix Paiva46100pxFélix Paiva(1877–1965)29 October 19217 November 1921Liberal—Vice President under Manuel Gondra, assumed the presidency after his resignation. First term. Resigned.rowspan=4 47100pxEusebio Ayala(1875–1942)7 November 192112 April 1923Liberal—Interim President appointed by the Congress. First term. Resigned during in the Civil War of 1922.48100pxEligio Ayala(1879–1930)12 April 192317 March 1924Liberal—Interim President appointed by the Congress. First term. Resigned.49100pxLuis Alberto Riart(1880–1953)17 March 192415 August 1924Liberal—Interim President appointed by the Congress. Finished the presidential period 1920-1924.48100pxEligio Ayala(1879–1930)15 August 192415 August 1928Liberal1924Second term.Manuel Burgos50100pxJosé Patricio Guggiari(1884–1957)15 August 192825 October 1931Liberal1928Resigned to stand an impeachment.Emiliano González Navero35100pxEmiliano González Navero(1861–1934)25 October 193127 January 1932Liberal—Vice President under José Patricio Guggiari, assumed the presidency during his impeachment. Third term.50100pxJosé Patricio Guggiari(1884–1957)27 January 193215 August 1932Liberal—Restoration of its original mandate after being absolved from impeachment.Emiliano González Navero47100pxEusebio Ayala(1875–1942)15 August 193217 February 1936Liberal1932Second term. Paraguayan victory in the Chaco War. Deposed after the Febrerista Revolution.Raúl Casal Ribeiro51Rafael Franco(1896–1973)17 February 193613 August 1937Military—De facto president after a coup. Deposed after a coup.rowspan=3 46100pxFélix Paiva(1877–1965)13 August 193711 October 1938Liberal—De facto president after a coup.  Second term.11 October 193815 August 1939—Interim President appointed by the Congress.52100pxJosé Félix Estigarribia(1888–1940)15 August 193918 February 1940Liberal1939Luis Alberto Riart18 February 19407 September 1940—De facto president after a self-coup.  The new Constitution of 1940 increased the presidential term from 4 to 5 years, allowed a single consecutive reelection, removed the Electoral College and the Vice President post. Died in a plane crash.rowspan=22 53Higinio Morínigo(1897–1983)7 September 194015 August 1943——Interim President appointed by the Congress. Finished the presidential period 1939-1943.15 August 19433 June 19481943Deposed in a coup.54Juan Manuel Frutos(1879–1960)3 June 194815 August 1948ANR-Colorado—Interim President appointed by the Congress. Finished the presidential period 1943-1948.55Juan Natalicio González(1897–1966)15 August 194830 January 1949ANR-Colorado1948Deposed in a coup.56100pxRaimundo Rolón(1903–1981)30 January 194926 February 1949ANR-Colorado—Interim President appointed by the Congress. Deposed in a coup.57Felipe Molas López(1901–1954)26 February 194914 May 1949ANR-Colorado—De facto president after a coup.14 May 194911 September 19491949Elected to finish the presidential period 1948-1953. Deposed in a coup.58Federico Chaves(1882–1978)11 September 194915 August 1953ANR-Colorado—Interim President appointed by the Congress. Finished the presidential period 1948-1953.15 August 19534 May 19541953Deposed in a coup d'état.colspan=8  There was no president in this period.59 Tomás Romero Pereira(1886–1982)8 May 195415 August 1954ANR-Colorado—Interim President appointed by the Congress.60100pxAlfredo Stroessner(1912–2006)15 August 195415 August 1958ANR-Colorado1954Elected to finish the presidential period 1953-1958.15 August 195815 August 1963195815 August 196315 August 19681963The new Constitution of 1967 allowed Stroessner to run for two more elections.15 August 196815 August 1973196815 August 197315 August 19781973The Constitutional Amendment of 1977 allowed indefinite reelections.15 August 197815 August 1983197815 August 198315 August 1988198315 August 19883 February 19891988Deposed in a coup d'état.61 Andrés Rodríguez(1923–1997)3 February 198915 May 1989ANR-Colorado—De facto president after a coup.15 May 198915 August 19931989The new Constitution of 1992 removed the possibility of reelection and reinstated the Vice President post. Elected to finish the presidential period 1988-1993.62100pxJuan Carlos Wasmosy(1938–)15 August 199315 August 1998ANR-Colorado1993Ángel Seifart63Raúl Cubas Grau(1943–)15 August 199828 March 1999ANR-Colorado1998Resigned as a result of the Marzo paraguayo.Luis María Argañarowspan=2 64100pxLuis Ángel González Macchi(1947–)28 March 199915 August 2003ANR-Colorado—President of the Senate, as the Vice President, Luis María Argaña, was assassinated 5 days before. Finished the presidential period 1998-2003.Julio César Franco65100pxNicanor Duarte(1956–)15 August 200315 August 2008ANR-Colorado2003Luis Alberto CastiglioniFrancisco Oviedo66100pxFernando Lugo(1951–)15 August 200822 June 2012Christian Democratic2008Impeached.Federico Franco67100pxFederico Franco(1962–)22 June 201215 August 2013Authentic Radical Liberal—Vice President under Fernando Lugo, assumed the presidency after his impeachment. Finished the presidential period 2008-2013.Óscar Denis68100pxHoracio Cartes(1956–)15 August 201315 August 2018ANR-Colorado2013Juan AfaraAlicia Pucheta69100pxMario Abdo Benítez(1971–)15 August 201815 August 2023ANR-Colorado2018Hugo Velázquez Moreno70100pxSantiago Peña(1978–)15 August 2023IncumbentANR-Colorado2023Pedro Alliana

Living former presidents
There are seven living former presidents. The most recent former president to die was Alfredo Stroessner (1963–1989), on 16 August 2006.

Notes

References

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