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Bernardino Caballero | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 9th President of Paraguay | |
| In office 4 September 1880 – 25 November 1886 | |
| Vice President | Juan Antonio Jara |
| Preceded by | Cándido Bareiro |
| Succeeded by | Patricio Escobar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1839-05-20)20 May 1839 Ybycuí, Paraguay |
| Died | 26 February 1912(1912-02-26) (aged 72) Asunción, Paraguay |
| Political party | Colorado Party |
| Known for | Serving as aGeneral during theParaguayan War (1864–1870), later asPresident of Paraguay between 1880 and 1886, and founding theColorado Party in 1887. |
Bernardino Caballero de Añazco Melgarejo y Genes (20 May 1839,Ybycuí,Paraguay – 26 February 1912,Asunción)[1] was aParaguayanmilitary officer andpolitician. He was aGeneral during theParaguayan War. He was installed asPresident of Paraguay after a 1880 coup,[2][3] serving from September 1880 to November 1886. He was term limited from serving another consecutive term, so he guaranteed that he would be succeeded by his close friendPatricio Escobar.[2]
He was the founder of theColorado Party in September 1887, the largest political party in Paraguay currently, along with theLiberal Party in second position.[2]
Born inYbycuí, Caballero was a descendant of Spanish nobility, the son of Jose Ramón Caballero de Anazco (a descendant fromTúpac Huallpa throughInca Garcilaso de la Vega) and his wife Melchora Inés Melgarejo y Genés. Married twice, to María de la Concepción Díaz de Bedoya and to Julia Álvarez. From the first marriage he had two children, Ramon Caballero de Bedoya, married to Martha Cahen, and had issue, and Melchora Caballero de Bedoya, married to her distant cousin Carlos Francisco Saguier Pereira. Outside of his marriages he had a further 90 children, all formally recognized by him, and thus today he has myriad descendants.[citation needed]
Caballero joined theParaguayan Army in 1864 and fought in theParaguayan War.[4]: 75 He participated in theMato Grosso Campaign. Later he became the assistant of PresidentFrancisco Solano López inHumaitá and remaining loyal, rose through the ranks. He became an increasingly important leader of rearguard actions, eventually becoming a cavalry general. Caballero was the greatest living war hero, who was captured by Brazilians on 8 April 1870 near theApa River after theBattle of Cerro Corá and released in May 1871.[5] During his arrest he became friendly with Brazilians and their political and military support was instrumental later, during his political career.
Caballero returned to Asunción and became involved in politics, joining the López loyalist faction led byCándido Bareiro. He was one of the leaders of March and June 1873 revolts and January 1874 revolt against the politically powerfulBenigno Ferreira who was forced to go into exile in February 1874. Because of his growing influence, Caballero was made Interior minister in the government ofSalvador Jovellanos. In November 1874 Caballero was appointed Minister of Justice, Worship and Education under the new PresidentJuan Bautista Gill.[5] Together with Vice PresidentHiginio Uriarte he was sent to London in 1874–75 to clarify the situation with financial loans.
After the death ofJuan Bautista Gill in 1877, he helped to ensure that his political allyCándido Bareiro was elected to the Presidency.
On 4 September 1880, after the death ofCándido Bareiro his Vice PresidentAdolfo Saguier was arrested by the Minister of War and Navy Pedro Duarte.Adolfo Saguier was then asked to sign his resignation. On the same daySenate of Paraguay met and elected Caballero to the Presidency. Thus, after the short presidencies of politically stronger Gill and Bareiro, the leader of 1873–74 rebellions had come to power.
During his rule Civil Register was established, the city ofVilla Florida was founded and the General Department of Immigration created. In June 1881 Banco Nacional and private Bance del Paraguay were established.[6] During his presidency much of the land previously owned by the state and the ruling López family was sold off in order to raise money.
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Caballero rigged the 1886 Presidential election to ensure the victory of his close allyPatricio Escobar.[citation needed] In response, his political opponents founded theLiberal Party and two months later Caballero founded the rulingColorado Party. From 1887 to 1904 as a former president he was also member of theSenate of Paraguay, and itspresident in 1894 and 1902.[7]
Caballero maintained a large degree of control as he remained commander of the army and Colorado Party. His favored candidates controlled the country until 1894, whenJuan Bautista Eguzquiza overthrewJuan Gualberto González. Caballero helped to organize another coup in 1902, puttingJuan Antonio Escurra in power, but after Escurra's overthrow in the1904 Revolution, the Liberals took power.
Caballero is buried in theNational Pantheon of the Heroes, due to his wartime efforts and political significance. The Paraguayan town ofGeneral Bernardino Caballero is named after him.
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | President of Paraguay 1880–1886 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
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