Carlos Antonio López | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Portrait,c. 1861 | |
| 1st President of Paraguay | |
| In office 13 March 1844 – 10 September 1862 | |
| Vice President | Mariano González (1845–1846) Francisco Solano López (1862) |
| Preceded by | himself as Consul |
| Succeeded by | Francisco Solano López |
| Consul of Paraguay | |
| In office 12 March 1841 – 13 March 1844 | |
| Preceded by | Mariano Roque Alonso |
| Succeeded by | himself as President |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1792-11-04)4 November 1792 |
| Died | 10 September 1862(1862-09-10) (aged 69) Asunción, Paraguay |
| Party | None |
| Spouse | Juana Pabla Carrillo |
| Children | Francisco Venancio Benigno Rafaela Inocencia |
Carlos Antonio López Ynsfrán (4 November 1792 – 10 September 1862) was leader ofParaguay from 1841 to 1862. Under his presidency, he undertook a process of economic and political modernization for Paraguay, and ended the isolationist policies of Paraguay dictatorJosé Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia.[1]
López was born atManorá (Asunción) on 4 November 1792, as one of eight children.[2] He graduated from Real Colegio y Seminario de San Carlos and then began a law practice, a profession which allowed him to develop influential connections.[3] He attracted the hostility[how?] of thedictatorJosé Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, his reputed uncle,[4] which caused him to go into hiding for several years.[5]
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López was briefly secretary of themilitary junta led by ColonelMariano Roque Alonso that ruled the country from 1840 to 1841, after the death of Francia. On 12 March 1841, Congress chose López and Roque to be joint consuls for three years.[3] In 1844, he exiled Roque and assumed dictatorial powers. A few months later, Congress adopted a new constitution, which changed the head of state's title from consul topresident and elected López to the new post for a 10-year term.[2] The constitution vested López with powers almost as sweeping as those Francia had held for most of his 26-year rule, effectively codifying the dictatorial powers he had seized just months earlier. The document included no guarantees of civil rights; indeed, the word "liberty" was not even in the text.
He was re-elected for a three-year term in 1854 and again in 1857 for ten more years, with the power to nominate his own successor.[5][3]
His government was directed towards developing Paraguay's primary resource extraction and strengthening Paraguay's armed forces. He contracted numerous foreign technicians, most of whom were British, and built up the formidableFortress of Humaitá.[6]
Before the constitution adopted in 1844 that legitimized López’s presidency, Paraguay had no official document of sovereignty; López’s influence led to the recognition of Paraguay as an independent nation.[2] However, his approach to foreign affairs several times involved him indiplomatic disputes with theEmpire of Brazil, theUnited States, and theBritish Empire, which nearly resulted in war.[5]
His government was somewhat more tolerant of opposition than Francia's had been. He released all political prisoners soon after he took full power and also took measures to abolishslavery.[7]
During his presidency, Paraguay’s economy saw unprecedented growth. He signed commercial treaties with Brazil in 1850, with Great Britain, France and the United States in 1853, and with and Argentina in 1856. His government worked to improve infrastructure and transportation within the country through the establishment of a new railroad line and steamship river routes. López also encouraged public education through the expansion of primary schools and the reopening of the seminary he attended as a young man, which increased literacy throughout the country.[2][3] Textile factories and shipyards for shipbuilding were established, and agriculture was promoted. National production of yerba mate, tobacco, and timber once again sought foreign markets. One of its most famous projects was the Ybycuí Iron Foundry, where iron tools and cannons were produced.[8][9][10]
His eldest son,Francisco Solano López (1827–1870), succeeded him as president after his death.[3]A barrio of Asuncion is named after him.
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Kingdom of Sardinia : Knight Grand Cordon of theOrder of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.[11]{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)[...] a wealthy creole landowner and reputed nephew of Francia, [...] Carlos Antonio Lopez.
The rise to power of López after Francia's death in 1840 brought a cautious, gradualist approach to the abolition of Paraguayan slavery. The government decreed a Law of Free Womb in 1842, which freed children born to slaves.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lopez, Carlos Antonio".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 990.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Consul of Paraguay 1841–1844 | Succeeded by himself as President |
| Preceded by himself as Consul | President of Paraguay 1844–1862 | Succeeded by |
