Independence of Paraguay

Independence of Paraguay de facto started on May 14 of 1811

after the Revolution of May 14 when a local ruling junta was Republic of Paraguay
created. In early 1811 Paraguayan forces had repeatedly defeated República del Paraguay
the Argentinian army which considered Paraguay to be a break-
1811–1814
away province. On October 12, 1813 the Paraguayan Republic
was proclaimed. Officially Independence was proclaimed only
on November 25, 1842. Paraguayan independence was assured
only after the Paraguayan War, when the Empire of Brazil
resisted Argentine offers to divide and annex the country.
Flag

Contents
Background
Royalist rule
Revolution of May 14
Towards full independence
International recognition
References

Background Capital Asunción

President
In 1776 Spanish king Carlos III created Viceroyalty of the Río de
la Plata with a capital city in Buenos Aires. It included parts of • 1811-1813 Fulgencio Yegros
Governor
modern-day Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Rio Grande do
Intendants
Sul. In 1782 a system of municipalities was introduced. The
• 1811 Bernardo de
municipality of Paraguay had only one town with city status – Velasco
Asuncion. • 1811 José Gaspar
Rodríguez de
During the era of the Napoleonic Peninsular War, when mainland Francia
Spain was allied with and later occupied by the French, The • 1811 Juan Valeriano de
British Empire attempted to take control of the Viceroyalty by Zevallos
launching the River Plate invasions, occupying Buenos Aires and Consul
neighbouring parts of the Río de la Plata in 1806 and 1807. • 1813-1814 José Gaspar
Paraguayan units led by Governor Velasco participated in the Rodríguez de
Francia
battles for Montevideo during the invasions.
• 1814 Fulgencio Yegros
Historical era Decolonization of
Royalist rule the Americas
• May Revolution 25 May 1810
After the 1810 May Revolution in Buenos Aires and formation • Established 14 May 1811
of the Primera Junta which aimed to rule over the whole • Republic 12 October 1813
Viceroyalty, junta sent Colonel Jose de Espinola to Asuncion proclaimed
with a task to bring the province under junta's authority. Espinola • Disestablished 3 October 1814
 failed in his mission and Preceded by Succeeded by
was quickly chased out History of Republic
of the province.[1] Paraguay of
(to 1811) Paraguay
(1814-
1844)

The royal governor of

Asuncion, Bernardo de
Velasco y Huidobro on July
24 organized a local Cabildo
of 200 local notables, which
sent a reply to Buenos Aires
announcing continued loyalty
to Spanish king Ferdinand
VII and rejection of authority
Fulgencio Yegros
of Primero Junta.[2] Cabildo
also announced mobilization
and Velasco left with troops
for the Yaguarón to establish defensive positions.

Political future of Paraguay was decided by conflicts between three

groups, each of which had different plans for the future: gachupines
(born in Spain), porteños (inhabitants of Buenos Aires) and the local
Paraguayan-born Creole elite which was led by Fulgencio Yegros and
Pedro Juan Caballero.[3] Pedro Juan Caballero

In September 1810 a porteño conspiracy to seize the power in

Asuncion was uncovered and arrested suspects were sent to Fort
Borbon.[4]

Porteños wanted to extend their rule over the whole former

Viceroyalty and in September 1810 Buenos Aires sent troops under
General Manuel Belgrano to conquer the Paraguay province, but in
early months of 1811 they were defeated at the Battle of Tacuarí and
Battle of Paraguarí and Paraguay campaign ended in failure.
Belgrano's campaign against
Governor Velasco, who had displayed cowardice by fleeing from Paraguay
these battles, then had plans to ask for Portuguese military protection
and was ready to accept Portuguese sovereignty, which caused
discontent among the victorious, Creole led Paraguayan troops as Portuguese were old enemies who had
annexed many Paraguayan territories.

The double victories of the Creole army over Belgrano weakened position of royalists and governor Velasco
and increased local patriotism of Creole officers who started a plot to overthrow Velasco.

Revolution of May 14
Initially the plan called for military uprising to start on May 25, the one-year anniversary of May Revolution.
The military forces, under Fulgencio Yegros, were expected to march from Itapua supported by garrisons in
other towns, but negotiations of governor Velasco with Portuguese representatives from Brazil, hastened the
uprising.
In the evening of May 14, 1811 a military insurrection broke out in
Asuncion garrison. Plotters led by Captain Pedro Juan Caballero went
to the Governor's quarters located on the main square of Asuncion,
where they were greeted by second lieutenant Mauricio Jose Troche,
a supporter of plot, was on duty and in charge of the small garrison of
34 men from Curuguaty.

At midnight Ensign Vicente Ignacio Iturbe presented Governor

Velasco with demands from plotters led by Caballero, which could be
summarized as follows:

"Surrender of the main square, all the weapons and keys to

the Cabildo."
"Governor Velasco stays in power, but as a part of three-
man junta which should include two representatives
appointed by the officers at the quarters." Map of Paraguay in 1850

A group of officers and politicians which included Captain Pedro

Juan Caballero, Fulgencio Yegros, Vicente Ignacio Iturbe, Mauricio Jose Troche, Fernando de la Mora, Juan
Valeriano de Zeballos and José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia forced governor Velasco to agree to a creation of
a three-man executive junta.[5]

As Governor Bernardo de Velasco was reluctant to accept the conditions presented by plotters, additional
revolutionary troops came to the square and set up a battery of eight cannons in front of the government house
in Asuncion; Ensign Vicente Ignacio Iturbe brought a new ultimatum, setting a short deadline for response. It
was already early morning on May 15, 1811. As the town garrison assembled, Governor Velasco was against
any bloodshed, and came to the door to say: "If this is because of authority, I give up the command baton."
This announcement was met with joy by the assembled crowd. The flag was raised and a 21-gun salute fired
amidst the ringing of church bells. (This day is marked as Paraguayan Independence Day.)

On May 17 a public proclamation informed people that a ruling junta, consisting of Governor Velasco, Gaspar
Rodriguez de Francia and Spanish-born Army captain Juan Valeriano de Zeballos has been created. Fulgencio
Yegros reached Asuncion only on May 21, 1811.

Towards full independence

The Junta, which consisted of governor Velasco, local politician Francia and Spanish-born officer Zeballos,
and still swore allegiance to the Spanish crown, ruled until the First National Congress was convened on June
17, 1811. Already before the Congress Velasco was placed under a house arrest on June 9 because of his
continued conspiring with the Portuguese.[6]

Congress approved creation of a new five-man Junta Superior Gubernativa, led by Yegros. On July 20, 1811
the junta sent a letter to Buenos Aires expressing Paraguay's will to be independent and proposing a
confederation of independent countries. On October 12, 1811 a short-lived treaty of a confederation was
signed with Buenos Aires.

The Second National Congress was held from September 30 until October 12, 1813. It was attended by 1100
delegates and presided by Pedro Juan Caballero. Congress approved the new Constitution on October 12,
1813 when Paraguayan Republic was officially proclaimed. It also created a two-man executive body with
two consuls – Yegros and Francia. The Third National Congress was held on October 3–4, 1814 and replaced
two-man executive with a single man dictatorship, to which Francia was elected.[7]
International recognition
While Paraguay managed to isolate itself from the outside world under the rule of Francia and avoided military
conflicts with Argentine Confederation or Empire of Brazil, its independence was still not recognized
internationally.

Only on November 25, 1842 Paraguayan Congress formally declared an Act of Independence. It was
recognized by Bolivia on June 17, 1843. However it was fully secure only after Empire of Brazil recognized it
on September 14, 1844 and by Argentina on July 17, 1852. However, this recognition was rejected by the
Congress of Argentina and the actual recognition of independence came only in 1856.

The United States of America recognized Paraguay as a separate and independent country on April 27, 1852.
American Legation in Asuncion was established on November 26, 1861, when American Commissioner
Charles A. Washburn presented his credentials.[8]

References
1. The Rise and Fall of the Paraguayan Republic, 1800-1870 (https://books.google.lv/books?id=8
K10BQAAQBAJ&pg=PT34&dq=Francisco+Xavier+Bogarin&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwix3o
Pe4prLAhWMK5oKHVMrDFgQ6AEIKTAD#v=onepage&q=Francisco%20Xavier%20Bogarin&f
=false)
2. Historical Dictionary of Paraguay (https://books.google.lv/books?id=-Ji-CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA24
9&lpg=PA249&dq=paraguay+independence+1811&source=bl&ots=NuKikZOJLo&sig=tiR-uW
uz0OaZcaTxlJLcg6zRdgs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRuZrW-JnLAhWLApoKHVFKAek4F
BDoAQgbMAE#v=onepage&q=fulgencio%20yegros&f=true)
3. El fin de la colonia: Paraguay 1810–1811 (review) (https://muse.jhu.edu/journals/tam/summary/
v067/67.4.chesterton.html)
4. The Rise and Fall of the Paraguayan Republic, 1800-1870 (https://books.google.lv/books?id=8
K10BQAAQBAJ&pg=PT34&dq=Francisco+Xavier+Bogarin&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwix3o
Pe4prLAhWMK5oKHVMrDFgQ6AEIKTAD#v=onepage&q=Francisco%20Xavier%20Bogarin&f
=false)
5. Paraguay independence (http://paraguaybicentennial2011.blogspot.com/2011/02/paraguay-ind
ependence.html)
6. Historical Dictionary of Paraguay (https://books.google.lv/books?id=-Ji-CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA66
8&dq=Carlos+Antonio++Lopez+paraguay&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7vuyF-6HLAhVrM5o
KHfLxDRkQ6AEIIDAB#v=onepage&q=Carlos%20Antonio%20%20Lopez&f=true)
7. Historical Dictionary of Paraguay (https://books.google.lv/books?id=-Ji-CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA24
9&lpg=PA249&dq=paraguay+independence+1811&source=bl&ots=NuKikZOJLo&sig=tiR-uW
uz0OaZcaTxlJLcg6zRdgs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRuZrW-JnLAhWLApoKHVFKAek4F
BDoAQgbMAE#v=onepage&q=fulgencio%20yegros&f=true)
8. A GUIDE TO THE UNITED STATES' HISTORY OF RECOGNITION, DIPLOMATIC, AND
CONSULAR RELATIONS, BY COUNTRY, SINCE 1776: PARAGUAY (https://history.state.gov/
countries/paraguay#history)

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