Juan Silvano Godoi
| Juan Silvano Godoi | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 12, 1850 Asunción, Paraguay |
| Died | January 15, 1926 (aged 75) Asunción, Paraguay |
| Occupation | Politic, writer, historian, librarian |
| Nationality | Paraguayan |
| Notable works | La muerte del Mariscal López, El concepto de patria |
Juan Silvano Godoi (November 12, 1850 – January 1926) was a librarian and intellectual at the time of the Paraguayan national reconstruction.
He was born in Asuncion on November 12, 1850. He was the son of the Colonel Juan Vicente Godoy and Petrona Echagüe. Narciso Echagüe y Andía, his mother’s father, was one of the leaders of the national independence. He was imprisoned during Francia’s dictatorship, and shot after twenty years in jail.
Juan Silvano studied in the Jesuit College of the Inmaculate Conception in the city of Santa Fe, Argentina. There, he was condisciple of José Zorrilla de San Martín. In the holydays of 1864, he spent some time in Asunción. Due to his short age and good luck, Francisco Solano López authorized him to continue his education in Argentina. This way, he escaped along with two of his brothers, the foulness of a war in which sixteen of the Echagüe family died. Some of the deceased were meritorious soldiers.
He entered the Buenos Aires School of Law, and stayed there during the whole war. In January 1869, once Asuncion was occupied, he interrupted his studies to move back to their land with a group of young fellow patriots. This was done as an attempt to help reconstruct the nation. In spite of his religious formation, Godoi had become a mason and a freethinker.
As a youngster Juan Silvano had begun replacing the “y” in his original surname (Godoy) for an “I”.
He was lucky enough to live through the dark postwar years in Paraguay. His strong and idealist personality forced him to get involved in the corrupt national politics. He did everything he could to help reconstruct a shattered country, but the politics scene was full of power disputes. Shortly he was known as one of the main politicians in the scene. Many politicians were killed or exiled in their attempt to establish a national order.
During the time he spent in Paraguay after his return he knew many young national leaders. He was a co-founder of the Great Club of the People along with José Segundo Decoud, Facundo Machaín, Juan José Decoud, Cayo Miltos and Miguel Palacios. He witnessed how many of his previously mentioned fellows vanished.
He was elected as a conventional in the district of the Cathedral. He was a member of the commission that was in charge of redacting the Constitution of 1870. Once the triumvirate was dissolved because two of his members renounced, Cirilo Antonio Rivarola became the only ruler. In that chaotic environment, an ambitious and conservative character emerged, Juan Bautista Gill.
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