Francisco Solano López Biography

Francisco Solano Lopez was the president of Paraguay from 1862 to 1870; he is widely held responsible for instigating the ‘War of the Triple Alliance’. Born to a politically active family, he had a pampered childhood and was appointed a Brigadier General at the age of 18. Upon the death of his father—the first President of Paraguay—he seized control of the country and quickly established his own supremacy with the help of the army. During his initial years as the president, he continued his father's domestic policies but was later overwhelmed with foreign affairs. He became entangled in a civil war raging in Uruguay, which involved the two South American giants, Brazil and Argentina. He allowed himself to be drawn into the boundary disputes and as a result of complicated diplomatic intrigues, found himself at war with both countries. Meanwhile, the Uruguayan government was toppled and the new government shifted its allegiance to Brazil. This new development resulted in the alliance of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay against Paraguay in 1865 which led to the ‘War of the Triple Alliance’, also known as the Paraguayan War. Paraguay faced heavy losses and massive destruction in the war which went on for several years, and Lopez was killed at the hands of Brazilian soldiers. Despite his over-ambitious and aggressive nature, he is celebrated as Paraguay’s leading hero, a true patriot who fought with utmost bravery until his last breath to protect his country