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Francisco Solano López (politician)
Encyclopedia
Francisco Solano López Carrillo (July 24, 1826 – March 1, 1870) was president
of Paraguay
from 1862 until his death in 1870. He was officially the eldest son of president Carlos Antonio López, whom he succeeded. However, his mother revealed to him that he was born out of wedlock.
Solano López is widely regarded as being responsible for the War of the Triple Alliance
, which led to his death.
. He was made Brigadier General of the Paraguayan army by his father at the age of 18, in 1844, during the spasmodic hostilities then prevailing with Argentina
. He was sent in 1853 as minister plenipotentiary to Britain, France and Italy
, and spent a year and a half in Europe. He purchased large quantities of arms
and military supplies, together with several steamers
, and organized a project for building a railroad and establishing a French colony in Paraguay. He also became infatuated with the empire of Napoleon III and Napoleon himself. López equipped his army with exact copies of uniforms of Napoleonic army. He ordered for himself exact replica of Napoleon's crown. While there, he met Parisian courtesan Eliza Lynch
and brought her with him back to Paraguay. There she was his mistress
and de-facto first lady till his death, strongly influencing his later ambitious schemes.
Returning to Paraguay, he became Minister of War in 1855.
Solano López was appointed as Vice President by his father. When his father died in 1862, López then called a congress
that unanimously chose him as president for ten years.
began supporting a rising revolution in Uruguay
by Venancio Flores
against the White party government of Atanasio Aguirre
, who was an ally of Paraguay and did not have friendly relations with Brazil, Uruguay requested Paraguay to intervene in the subject. López manifested this support via a letter to Brazil where it said that any occupation of Uruguayan lands by Brazil would be considered as an attack on Paraguay. When Brazil did not heed the letter and invaded Uruguay on 12 October 1864, López seized the Brazilian merchant steamer "Marqués de Olinda" in the harbor of Asunción
and imprisoned the Brazilian governor of the province of Mato Grosso
, who was on board. In the following month (December 1864) he dispatched a force to invade Mato Grosso
, which seized and sacked the town of Corumbá
and took possession of the province and its diamond mines, together with an inmense quantity of arms and ammunition, including gun powder enough to last the whole Paraguayan Army at least a year of active war. However, Paraguayan forces could not or would not seize the capital city of Cuiabá
, in Northern Mato Grosso.
López next intended to send troops to Uruguay to support the government of his ally, yet when he requested from Argentina permission to cross Argentine soil, Argentine President Bartolomé Mitre
refused to allow this force to cross the intervening province of Corrientes
. López then declared war on Argentina. By then Brazil had already overthrown the Uruguayan government of Aguirre and installed Flores in his stead, rendering Uruguay little more than a Brazilian puppet. A hastily summoned congress composed of López's own nominees bestowed the title of Marshal
upon him and gave him extraordinary war powers. On 13 April 1865, he declared war, seizing two Argentine war vessels in the Bay of Corrientes. The next day, he occupied the town of Corrientes, instituted a provisional government of his Argentine partisans, and announced that Paraguay had annexed Corrientes Province and Entre Ríos Province
. On 1 May, Brazil joined Argentina and (conquered) Uruguay and signed the Treaty of the Triple Alliance
, which stipulated that they should unitedly pursue the war until the existing government of Paraguay was overthrown, "until no arms or elements of war should be left to it." This agreement was literally carried out.
was still to be carried out, a condition to which López refused. Regardless of López's refusal, a peace treaty was not something Mitre could guarantee since article 6 in the secret treaty stated that "The allies solemnly commit themselves no to abandon arms unless commonly agreed, and as long as they haven’t overthrown the current government of Paraguay, as well as not to try separately, nor sign any peace treaty, truce, armistice which would put an end to or suspend the war, unless agreed by all parties". This not only rendered any possibility of truce or peace nearly impossible but also stipulated that the war was to continue until the current government ceased to be, which meant the death of López.
In 1868, when the allies were pressing him hard, he convinced himself that his Paraguayan supporters had actually formed a conspiracy against his life. Thereupon several hundred prominent Paraguayan citizens were seized and executed by his order, including his brothers and brothers-in-law, cabinet ministers, judges, prefects, military officers, bishops and priests, and nine-tenths of the civil officers, together with more than two hundred foreigners, among them several members of the diplomatic legations (the San Fernando massacres). During this time he also had his 70-year old mother flogged and ordered her execution, because she revealed to him that he was born out of wedlock.
on 14 February 1870. Two detachments were sent in pursuit of Solano López, who was accompanied by 200 men in the forests in the north where he received news of the considerable Brazilian force that were closing in on him. This caused some of the officials who were still with López to abandon him and approach the allied force, under the command of the Brazilian General José Antônio Correia da Câmara, which they readily joined as scouts in order to lead them to López.
Upon hearing about this, López called a last war council
with the remaining officers of his general staff in order to decide the course of action for the upcoming battle, whether they should escape into the hill range or stay and make a stand against the attackers. The counsel decided to stay and end the war once and for all by fighting to death.
The Brazilian force reached the camp on the 1 March. During the battle that ensued, López was separated from the remainder of his army and was accompanied only by his aide and a couple of officers. He had been wounded with a spear in the stomach and hit with a sword in the side of his head and so was too weak to walk by himself. They led him to the Aquidabangui stream. There the officers left López with the pretext of getting reinforcements. While he was alone with his aide, General Câmara arrived along with six soldiers and approached López offering him to surrender and guaranteeing his life. López refused and shouting, Muero con mi patria! (I die with my nation), and tried to attack Câmara with his sword. Câmara ordered López to be disarmed, but López died during the struggle with the soldiers who were trying to disarm him. This incident marked the end of the war of the Triple Alliance.
There is a debate within Paraguay as to whether he was a fearless leader who led his troops to the end, or whether he foolishly led Paraguay into a war which it could never possibly win, and which nearly eliminated the country from the map. This debate was not helped by the revisionist stance taken by the Stroessner
regime, regarding national history. Conversely, he is considered by some Latin Americans as a champion
for the rights of smaller nations against the imperialism of more powerful neighbors. For example, Eduardo Galeano
argues that he and his father continued the work of José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia
in defending Paraguay as "the only country that foreign capital had not deformed".
There is an ongoing debate in Paraguay among historians regarding López's final words. The two versions are Muero por mi patria ("I die for my nation") or Muero con mi patria ("I die with my nation"). Regarding the event, Juan Silvano Godoi
wrote:
1 March is a national holiday in Paraguay, called "Dia de los Heroes" (Heroes' Day), held in honor of López's memory. It is the most important holiday in the country next to the independence day. To date, López is considered to be the greatest Paraguayan national hero and his remains are located at the "Panteon de los Heroes" (National Pantheon of the Heroes)
in Asunción. It is customary in Asunción that when something historic worth celebrating happens (such as the victory of the current President Lugo in the 2008 elections
) people flock with their flags to the street in front of it and celebrate the event.
Recently, Argentine president Cristina Kirchner
named an Argentinean military unit after Marshal Francisco Solano López. It was the 2nd Armored Artillery Group. During the ceremony the national anthem of both nations was sung and high ranking officers of both armies were present. The Chief of the Argentine Army gave a speech at the event in which he stated: "Talking about the Paraguayan Army and the Argentine Army is talking of one and the same thing. Today, in the Argentine army, honored by the visit of Paraguay's Army Commandant, we are working intensely in fulfilling the dream of the fathers of our nation. Of those men who wanted to build a great nation, General San Martín
and, precisely, Marshal López.". Afterwards, Lieutenant General Bendini said:
At the end of the ceremony the Paraguayan Army Commandant presented the unit with a portrait of López.
The Paraguayan President's Office is called "Palacio de López" (Lopez's Palace) as it was built by López before the war as his home. However, it was never finished until after the war was over so he never resided in it.
The life of López is the basis for the play Visions by Louis Nowra
.
President of Paraguay
The President of Paraguay is according to the Paraguayan Constitution the Chief of the Executive branch of the Government of Paraguay...
of Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
from 1862 until his death in 1870. He was officially the eldest son of president Carlos Antonio López, whom he succeeded. However, his mother revealed to him that he was born out of wedlock.
Solano López is widely regarded as being responsible for the War of the Triple Alliance
War of the Triple Alliance
The Paraguayan War , also known as War of the Triple Alliance , was a military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay...
, which led to his death.
Life before the war
Solano López was born in Manorá (Asunción)Manorá (Asunción)
Manorá is a barrio of Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. Its limits are the neighbourhoods of San Jorge, Ycuá Satí, Villa Morra, Santo Domingo, Las Lomas and Madame Lynch. It has a population of 1,898 people...
. He was made Brigadier General of the Paraguayan army by his father at the age of 18, in 1844, during the spasmodic hostilities then prevailing with Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. He was sent in 1853 as minister plenipotentiary to Britain, France and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and spent a year and a half in Europe. He purchased large quantities of arms
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
and military supplies, together with several steamers
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
, and organized a project for building a railroad and establishing a French colony in Paraguay. He also became infatuated with the empire of Napoleon III and Napoleon himself. López equipped his army with exact copies of uniforms of Napoleonic army. He ordered for himself exact replica of Napoleon's crown. While there, he met Parisian courtesan Eliza Lynch
Eliza Lynch
Eliza Lynch was the mistress of Francisco Solano López, president of Paraguay.-Early life:She was born Eliza Alicia Lynch in Charleville, County Cork, Ireland. She emigrated at the age of ten with her family to Paris to escape the Great Irish Famine...
and brought her with him back to Paraguay. There she was his mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
and de-facto first lady till his death, strongly influencing his later ambitious schemes.
Returning to Paraguay, he became Minister of War in 1855.
Solano López was appointed as Vice President by his father. When his father died in 1862, López then called a congress
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different nations, constituent states, independent organizations , or groups....
that unanimously chose him as president for ten years.
Role in beginning the war
In 1864, after BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
began supporting a rising revolution in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
by Venancio Flores
Venancio Flores
Venancio Flores Barrios was a Uruguayan political leader and general. Flores was President of Uruguay from 1854 to 1855 and from 1865 to 1868.-Background and early career:...
against the White party government of Atanasio Aguirre
Atanasio Aguirre
Atanasio de la Cruz Aguirre was acting President of Uruguay from 1864 to 1865.-Background:Aguirre was a member of the National Party; he was a Senator from 1861.On March 1, 1864, Bernardo Berro stepped down from the Presidency.-President of Uruguay:...
, who was an ally of Paraguay and did not have friendly relations with Brazil, Uruguay requested Paraguay to intervene in the subject. López manifested this support via a letter to Brazil where it said that any occupation of Uruguayan lands by Brazil would be considered as an attack on Paraguay. When Brazil did not heed the letter and invaded Uruguay on 12 October 1864, López seized the Brazilian merchant steamer "Marqués de Olinda" in the harbor of Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
and imprisoned the Brazilian governor of the province of Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
, who was on board. In the following month (December 1864) he dispatched a force to invade Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
, which seized and sacked the town of Corumbá
Corumbá
Corumbá is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, 425 km northwest of Campo Grande, the state's capital. It has a population of approximately 96,000 inhabitants, and its economy is based mainly on agriculture, animal husbandry, mineral extraction, and tourism, being the...
and took possession of the province and its diamond mines, together with an inmense quantity of arms and ammunition, including gun powder enough to last the whole Paraguayan Army at least a year of active war. However, Paraguayan forces could not or would not seize the capital city of Cuiabá
Cuiabá
Under the Koppen climate classification, Cuiaba features a tropical wet and dry climate. Cuiabá is famous for its searing heat, although temperatures in winter can arrive sporadically at 10 degrees, indeed atypical, caused by cold fronts coming from the south, and that may only last one or two...
, in Northern Mato Grosso.
López next intended to send troops to Uruguay to support the government of his ally, yet when he requested from Argentina permission to cross Argentine soil, Argentine President Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
refused to allow this force to cross the intervening province of Corrientes
Corrientes
Corrientes is the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about from Buenos Aires and from Posadas, on National Route 12...
. López then declared war on Argentina. By then Brazil had already overthrown the Uruguayan government of Aguirre and installed Flores in his stead, rendering Uruguay little more than a Brazilian puppet. A hastily summoned congress composed of López's own nominees bestowed the title of Marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
upon him and gave him extraordinary war powers. On 13 April 1865, he declared war, seizing two Argentine war vessels in the Bay of Corrientes. The next day, he occupied the town of Corrientes, instituted a provisional government of his Argentine partisans, and announced that Paraguay had annexed Corrientes Province and Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos is a northeastern province of Argentina, located in the Mesopotamia region. It borders the provinces of Buenos Aires , Corrientes and Santa Fe , and Uruguay in the east....
. On 1 May, Brazil joined Argentina and (conquered) Uruguay and signed the Treaty of the Triple Alliance
Treaty of the Triple Alliance
The Treaty of the Triple Alliance was a treaty which allied Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay in the Paraguayan War. Signed at the beginning of the war, its articles prescribed the allies' actions both during and after the war.- Legal Restrictions :...
, which stipulated that they should unitedly pursue the war until the existing government of Paraguay was overthrown, "until no arms or elements of war should be left to it." This agreement was literally carried out.
War of the Triple Alliance
The war which ensued, lasting until 1 March 1870, was carried on with great stubbornness and with alternating fortunes, though López's disasters steadily increased. On 12 September 1866, López invited Mitre to a conference in Yatayty Corá. López believed that the time was right to treat for peace and was ready to sign a peace treaty with the Allies. No agreement was reached though since Mitre's conditions for rendition were that every article of the Secret Treaty of the Triple AllianceTreaty of the Triple Alliance
The Treaty of the Triple Alliance was a treaty which allied Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay in the Paraguayan War. Signed at the beginning of the war, its articles prescribed the allies' actions both during and after the war.- Legal Restrictions :...
was still to be carried out, a condition to which López refused. Regardless of López's refusal, a peace treaty was not something Mitre could guarantee since article 6 in the secret treaty stated that "The allies solemnly commit themselves no to abandon arms unless commonly agreed, and as long as they haven’t overthrown the current government of Paraguay, as well as not to try separately, nor sign any peace treaty, truce, armistice which would put an end to or suspend the war, unless agreed by all parties". This not only rendered any possibility of truce or peace nearly impossible but also stipulated that the war was to continue until the current government ceased to be, which meant the death of López.
In 1868, when the allies were pressing him hard, he convinced himself that his Paraguayan supporters had actually formed a conspiracy against his life. Thereupon several hundred prominent Paraguayan citizens were seized and executed by his order, including his brothers and brothers-in-law, cabinet ministers, judges, prefects, military officers, bishops and priests, and nine-tenths of the civil officers, together with more than two hundred foreigners, among them several members of the diplomatic legations (the San Fernando massacres). During this time he also had his 70-year old mother flogged and ordered her execution, because she revealed to him that he was born out of wedlock.
Battle of Cerro Corá
López was at last driven with a handful of troops to the northern frontier of Paraguay. He arrived at Cerro CoráBattle of Cerro Corá
The battle of Cerro Corá was fought on 1 March 1870 on a hill-surrounded valley of the same name, in the north-east of Paraguay. This was the last battle in the War of the Triple Alliance....
on 14 February 1870. Two detachments were sent in pursuit of Solano López, who was accompanied by 200 men in the forests in the north where he received news of the considerable Brazilian force that were closing in on him. This caused some of the officials who were still with López to abandon him and approach the allied force, under the command of the Brazilian General José Antônio Correia da Câmara, which they readily joined as scouts in order to lead them to López.
Upon hearing about this, López called a last war council
Council of war
A council of war is a term in military science that describes a meeting held to decide on a course of action, usually in the midst of a battle. Under normal circumstances, decisions are made by a commanding officer, optionally communicated and coordinated by staff officers, and then implemented by...
with the remaining officers of his general staff in order to decide the course of action for the upcoming battle, whether they should escape into the hill range or stay and make a stand against the attackers. The counsel decided to stay and end the war once and for all by fighting to death.
The Brazilian force reached the camp on the 1 March. During the battle that ensued, López was separated from the remainder of his army and was accompanied only by his aide and a couple of officers. He had been wounded with a spear in the stomach and hit with a sword in the side of his head and so was too weak to walk by himself. They led him to the Aquidabangui stream. There the officers left López with the pretext of getting reinforcements. While he was alone with his aide, General Câmara arrived along with six soldiers and approached López offering him to surrender and guaranteeing his life. López refused and shouting, Muero con mi patria! (I die with my nation), and tried to attack Câmara with his sword. Câmara ordered López to be disarmed, but López died during the struggle with the soldiers who were trying to disarm him. This incident marked the end of the war of the Triple Alliance.
Historical perception
Alfredo Stroessner
Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda, whose name is also spelled Strössner or Strößner , was a Paraguayan military officer and dictator from 1954 to 1989...
regime, regarding national history. Conversely, he is considered by some Latin Americans as a champion
Champion
A champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions...
for the rights of smaller nations against the imperialism of more powerful neighbors. For example, Eduardo Galeano
Eduardo Galeano
Eduardo Hughes Galeano is a Uruguayan journalist, writer and novelist. His best known works are Memoria del fuego and Las venas abiertas de América Latina which have been translated into twenty languages and transcend orthodox genres: combining fiction, journalism, political analysis, and...
argues that he and his father continued the work of José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia
José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia
200px|right|thumb|José Gaspar Rodríguez de FranciaDr. José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia y Velasco was the first leader of Paraguay following its independence from Spain...
in defending Paraguay as "the only country that foreign capital had not deformed".
There is an ongoing debate in Paraguay among historians regarding López's final words. The two versions are Muero por mi patria ("I die for my nation") or Muero con mi patria ("I die with my nation"). Regarding the event, Juan Silvano Godoi
Juan Silvano Godoi
- Childhood and studies :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...
wrote:
1 March is a national holiday in Paraguay, called "Dia de los Heroes" (Heroes' Day), held in honor of López's memory. It is the most important holiday in the country next to the independence day. To date, López is considered to be the greatest Paraguayan national hero and his remains are located at the "Panteon de los Heroes" (National Pantheon of the Heroes)
National Pantheon of the Heroes
The National Pantheon of the Heroes is a building and landmark of Asunción, Paraguay, and a national monument of Paraguay. It is customary in Asuncion that when something historic happens people flock with their flags to the street in front of it and celebrate the event.The ceremonial changing...
in Asunción. It is customary in Asunción that when something historic worth celebrating happens (such as the victory of the current President Lugo in the 2008 elections
Paraguayan general election, 2008
The 2008 Paraguayan general election was held in Paraguay on April 20, 2008. This includes presidential, legislative, and local elections. The presidential election was won by opposition candidate Fernando Lugo of the Patriotic Alliance for Change, who defeated Blanca Ovelar of the long-ruling...
) people flock with their flags to the street in front of it and celebrate the event.
Recently, Argentine president Cristina Kirchner
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner , commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner is the 55th and current President of Argentina and the widow of former President Néstor Kirchner. She is Argentina's first elected female president, and the second female president ever to serve...
named an Argentinean military unit after Marshal Francisco Solano López. It was the 2nd Armored Artillery Group. During the ceremony the national anthem of both nations was sung and high ranking officers of both armies were present. The Chief of the Argentine Army gave a speech at the event in which he stated: "Talking about the Paraguayan Army and the Argentine Army is talking of one and the same thing. Today, in the Argentine army, honored by the visit of Paraguay's Army Commandant, we are working intensely in fulfilling the dream of the fathers of our nation. Of those men who wanted to build a great nation, General San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
and, precisely, Marshal López.". Afterwards, Lieutenant General Bendini said:
At the end of the ceremony the Paraguayan Army Commandant presented the unit with a portrait of López.
The Paraguayan President's Office is called "Palacio de López" (Lopez's Palace) as it was built by López before the war as his home. However, it was never finished until after the war was over so he never resided in it.
The life of López is the basis for the play Visions by Louis Nowra
Louis Nowra
Louis Nowra is an Australian writer, playwright, screenwriter and librettist.He is best known as one of Australia's leading playwrights...
.
