Bernardino Caballero
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Bernardino Caballero Melgarejo (20 March 1839 - 26 February 1912) was the President of Paraguay from 1881 until 1886 and founder of the Colorado Party.
A descendant from Spanish nobility, he was the son of Jose Ramón Caballero de Anazco (a descendant from Tupac Huallpa through Inca Garcilaso de la Vega) and his wife Melchora Inés Melgarejo y Genés. Married twice, to María de la Concepción Díaz de Bedoya and to Julia Álvarez, without issue. From the first marriage he had two children, Ramon Caballero de Bedoya, married to Martha Cahen, and had issue, and Melchora Caballero de Bedoya, married to her distant cousin Carlos Francisco Saguier Pereira, and had issue.
Born in Ybycuí, he joined the Paraguayan Army while still young and fought in the War of the Triple Alliance. During the war, he became the assistant of President Francisco Solano López, in Humaitá and remaining loyal, rose through the ranks. He became an increasingly important leader of rearguard actions, eventually becoming a General.
After the death of Juan Bautista Gill in 1877, he helped ensure his friend Cándido Barreiro gained the presidency. Soon after Barreiro's death he organised a coup and took the presidency for himself, during which period he privatised much of the land in Paraguay to raise money.
Caballero rigged the 1886 election to ensure the victory Patricio Escobar, his favoured candidate. In response, his opponents founded the Liberal Party and he then founded the Colorado Party. Out of office, Caballero maintained a large degree of control as he remained commander of the army. His favoured candidates controlled the country until 1894, when Juan Bautista Eguzquiza overthrew Juan Gualberto González. Caballero helped to organise another coup in 1902, putting Juan Antonio Escurra in power, but after Escurra's overthrow by the Argentine Army, the Liberals took power.
The Paraguayan town of General Bernadino Caballero is named for him.
| Preceded by Adolfo Saguier |
Vice President of Paraguay 1880-1881 |
Succeeded by Juan Antonio Jara |
| Preceded by Adolfo Saguier |
President of Paraguay 1881-1886 |
Succeeded by Patricio Escobar |
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