Francisco Solano López
President of Paraguay
Died when: 43 years 220 days (523 months)Star Sign: Leo
Francisco Solano López Carrillo (24 July 1827 – 1 March 1870) was President of Paraguay from 1862 until his death in 1870.He was the eldest son of Juana Pabla Carrillo and of President Carlos Antonio López, Francisco's predecessor.
At a very young age he served in the Paraguayan Army fighting against Juan Manuel de Rosas in the sporadic hostilities sustained by Paraguay and Argentina during the Platine Wars.
After the downfall of Rosas, he became Ambassador of Paraguay, as Minister Plenipotentiary, in several European countries from 1853 to 1855.At his return in Asunción, he was appointed Vice-President of the Supreme Government of his father Carlos, and then assumed the presidency when his father died.
He is one of the most controversial figures in South American history, particularly because of the Paraguayan War, known in the Plate Basin as "Guerra de la Triple Alianza".
From one perspective, his ambitions were the main reason for the outbreak of the war while other arguments maintain he was a fierce champion of the independence of South American nations against foreign rule and interests.
He fought until the very end and was killed in action during the Battle of Cerro Corá, which marked the end of the war.
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