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 |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda November 3, 1912 Encarnación, Paraguay |
| Died | August 16, 2006 (aged 93) Brasília, Brazil |
| Nationality | Paraguayan |
| Political party | Colorado Party |
| Spouse(s) | Eligia Mora |
| Children | Freddie Gustavo Graciela |
| Alma mater | Asunción Military College |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Paraguay
|
| Service/branch |
 Paraguayan Army
|
| Years of service | 1929–1989 |
| Rank |
 General
|
| Commands | Paraguayan Army |
| Battles/wars | Paraguayan Civil War |
Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈfreðo strosˈner]; November 3, 1912 – August 16, 2006) was a Paraguayan military officer who served as President of Paraguay from 1954 to 1989. He ascended to the position after leading an army coup in 1954. His 35-year-long rule, marked by an uninterrupted period of repression in his country, is the longest in modern South American history. Stroessner's rule is ranked 20th-longest among other non-royal national leaders since 1870, and made him one of the world's longest-serving non-royal heads of state.
In 1954, he ousted Federico Chávez, becoming president after winning an election in which he was the sole candidate. A staunch anti-communist, Stroessner had the backing of the United States for most of his time in power. His supporters packed the legislature and ran the courts, and he ruthlessly suppressed all political opposition. He kept his country in what he called a constant "state of siege" that overruled its democratic constitution, enforced a cult of personality, and used torture against political opposition. Membership in his Colorado Party was a prerequisite for job promotion, free medical care and other services. The constitution had to be modified in 1967 and 1977 to legitimize his six consecutive elections to the presidency. In 1988, he won an unprecedented eighth term on a majority, according to official figures, of between 90 and 98 percent of the registered vote.
Stroessner provided refuge for Argentina's Juan Perón and Nicaragua's Anastasio Somoza Debayle (later assassinated in Paraguay). Stroessner was ousted from power in 1989 in a military coup led by General Andrés Rodríguez and forced into exile in Brazil, where he spent the last 17 years of his life. Following a bout of pneumonia, he tried to return to his homeland to die, but was rejected by the government. He died in Brasília on August 16, 2006, of complications from a hernia operation.
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