Paraguayan history

Brief history of Paraguay summarized

A brief brushstroke to the history of Paraguay summarized.

Paraguay in its beginnings

Before the Spanish arrived in Paraguay, it was inhabited by people called the Guarani. They were farmers. The Spanish arrived in the region in the 16th century and Paraguay’s capital, Asunción, was founded in 1537.

Paraguay became independent from Spain in 1811 and José Gaspar Rodríguez Francis became the dictator. He was the first of a long list of dictators in Paraguay and ruled until his death in 1840. He was followed by Carlos Antonio López, who ruled Paraguay until 1862. At the same time he was succeeded by his son Francisco Solano López.

In 1870 the War of the Triple Alliance began. Paraguay faced Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. The war lasted until 1870 and was an absolute disaster for Paraguay. Many of its citizens were killed and Paraguay lost much of its territory.

Contemporary Paraguay

At the beginning of the 20th century, Paraguay suffered from political instability with frequent changes of government. Then, in 1932, Paraguay and Bolivia went to war. The Chaco War lasted until 1938.

In 1954 Alfredo Stroessner became dictator of Paraguay. He ruled until 1989. After that, Paraguay became a democratic country.

Today, Paraguay is still a poor country, but its economy is growing rapidly and there is reason to be optimistic. Currently, the population of Paraguay is 6.9 million inhabitants.

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