Andrés Rodríguez
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| Andrés Rodríguez | |
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| In office February 3, 1989 – August 15, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Alfredo Stroessner |
| Succeeded by | Juan Carlos Wasmosy |
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| Born | June 19, 1923 |
| Died | April 21, 1997 (aged 73) |
| Nationality | Paraguayan |
Andrés Rodríguez Pedotti (June 19, 1923 - April 21, 1997) was the President of Paraguay from February 3, 1989 to August 15, 1993. He assumed the presidency in a coup d'état against Alfredo Stroessner.
He was closely linked to Stroessner, amassing a great deal of money from smuggling under that regime. He was also banned from the United States on suspicion of profiting from heroin trafficking.
On February 2, 1989, to the surprise of many, Rodríguez launched a coup, with the backing of much of the Roman Catholic Church and of the United States, who no longer valued Stroessner as an ally against international Communism. With this support, the coup quickly succeeded, with Stroessner fleeing the country within days.
In order to satisfy his backers, Rodríguez abolished the death penalty, withdrew martial law and tried and imprisoned some leading members of the Stroessner government. He also instituted multi-party elections, the first of which he won, representing the Colorado Party. Suffering from cancer, he stood down in 1993 and was succeeded by Juan Carlos Wasmosy.
He died from cancer at the age of 73 in 1997.
[edit] External links
- [1] John Kerry's 1988 committee on foreign relations report (about the drug trade).
| Preceded by Alfredo Stroessner |
President of Paraguay 1989-1993 |
Succeeded by Juan Carlos Wasmosy |
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