José Eduvigis Díaz Vera (17 October 1833 – 7 February 1867) was a celebrated Paraguayan general. Díaz was born in the town of Cerro Verá east of
Pirayú
Pirayú is a town in the Paraguarí 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 ...
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 o ...
and first distinguished himself on raids across the Río Paraná at
Corrientes
Corrientes (; Guaraní: Taragüí, literally: "Currents") is the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about from Buenos Aires and from Posadas, on National Route 12. It ha ...
in the spring of 1866 during the
Paraguayan War
The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadlies ...
. Díaz was the hero of the September 22, 1866 battle of Curupaity, leading a humiliating defeat of the allied forces.
Barely four months later, however, on 26 January 1867, a Brazilian shell exploded over general Diaz's canoe while he was fishing in the
River Paraguay
The Paraguay River (Río Paraguay in Spanish, Rio Paraguai in Portuguese, Ysyry Paraguái in Guarani) is a major river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. It flows about from its headwaters i ...
, outside the camp at Curupayty. President
Francisco Solano López
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.
...
visited the wounded Díaz every day. Díaz's leg was amputated by doctors, but he still died on 7 February 1867.Hooker, T.D., 2008, The Paraguayan War, Nottingham: Foundry Books,
In addition to the battle of Curupayty, Díaz participated in the battles of Pehuajó, Estero Bellaco, Tuyutí (in which he commanded the Paraguayans against the combined allied forces), Boquerón, and
Sauce
In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...
.
After his death, his coffin was brought to Asunción, where the town accompanied it to its resting place in the Recoleta neighborhood. In 1939, Díaz's remains were deposited in an urn in the
National Pantheon of the Heroes
The National Pantheon of the Heroes ( es, Panteón Nacional de los Héroes), whose full name National Pantheon of Heroes and Oratory of the Virgin of the Asuncion ( es, Panteón Nacional de los Héroes y Oratorio de la Virgen de la Asunción) is a ...
, along with the remains of
Carlos Antonio López
Carlos Antonio López Ynsfrán (November 4, 1792 – September 10, 1862) served as leader of Paraguay from 1841 to 1862.
Early life
López was born at Manorá (Asunción) on November 4, 1792, as one of eight children. He graduated from Real C ...
.
Honors
Paraguay's highway Ruta 4 is named after him. He appears on the 100
Guaraní Guarani, Guaraní or Guarany may refer to
Ethnography
* Guaraní people, an indigenous people from South America's interior (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia)
* Guaraní language, or Paraguayan Guarani, an official language of Paraguay
* ...