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Fulgencio Yegros y Franco de Torres (born 1780 in Quyquyhó, died 1821) was Paraguayan soldier and first
head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...
of independent
Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to t ...
. The town of
Yegros Yegros is a town in the Caazapá department of Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bord ...
is named in his honor.


Life

Yegros was born to a family of military tradition and also pursued a military career. Grandson of governor Fulgencio Yegros y Ledesma, he studied in
Asunción Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of ...
and joined the Spanish colonial army. He had his first combat experiences in 1802 against the Portuguese and in 1807 when he was part of the Paraguayan forces that defended
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
during British invasions of the Río de la Plata. He reached the rank of captain in 1810 and was given the governorship of Misiones. Later he founded the first military academy in independent Paraguay In early 1811 he participated in Paraguay campaign and defended Paraguay against the invaders led by
Manuel Belgrano Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano y González (3 June 1770 – 20 June 1820), usually referred to as Manuel Belgrano (), was an Argentine public servant, economist, lawyer, politician, journalist, and military leader. He ...
. Yegros and Pedro Juan Caballero were the main military figures in the Revolution of May 1811, which led to the Independence of Paraguay. Following independence, from June 19, 1811 until October 12, 1813 Yegros was President of the five-man ruling Junta Superior Gubernativa which in 1813 was replaced by a two-man consulate. Yegros and José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia were chosen by Congress in 1813 as Consuls of the Republic following the model of the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...
. Yegros was more of a military man than politician, and in his role as Consul of Paraguay was marginalised by Francia. His term as Consul was from 12 February 1814 to 12 June 1814. After his last consular term in 1814, Francia was elected the dictator of Paraguay and Yegros retired from public life to his estate. In 1820 Yegros was a participant in the unsuccessful plot that tried to oust Francia from power. Following the failure of the plot, Yegros was imprisoned and was executed on 17 July, 1821.


References

1780 births 1821 deaths People from Paraguarí Department Presidents of Paraguay Paraguayan people who died in prison custody Prisoners who died in Paraguayan detention Paraguayan people of Spanish descent Paraguayan independence activists 19th-century Paraguayan people {{Paraguay-mil-bio-stub