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A drastic change occurred in Paraguay on the night of February
2, 1989. President Alfredo Stroessner, who had ruled the
country about 35 years, was overthrown by his relative by
marriage, General Andres Rodriguez, and was exiled to Brazil.
Under Stroessner''s authoritarian rule, political stability,
social progress and economic prosperity prevailed in Paraguay,
especially during the decade of the 1970s. Construction of the
Itaipu Power Plant brought an economic boom to the small
country. For the period, its achievement was outstanding in
Latin America. Stroessner''s efforts were clear and worthy of
praise, but his iron-handed methods and disregard of human
rights caused merciless criticism by political dissidents. No
matter how the people evaluated Stroessner positively or
negatively, it is a fact that he directed the country for more
than three decades, and his influence cannot be neglected.
Without doubt, the Stroessner era was the principal axis of
Paraguay''s contemporary history. The main purpose of this
thesis is to study factors in the rise and fall of Stroessner,
the way that he maintained his power, and the democratization
of Paraguay after the coup d''etat. From the study, one may
feel that Paraguay tended to need a strongman and that the
authoritarian system functioned well in that country. The
reason Stroessner could use his talent was timing and
tradition. Times change and the current seeks new direction,
however, Stroessner''s rigid thinking did not adapt, so he was
drowned by the current. This study is divided into six
chapters. It deals first with motive and purpose of the
study. It then treats in order Paraguay''s geography and
history, Stroessner''s rise to and consolidation of his regime,
his country''s international relations, and closes with a
prognosis about the country''s future.
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