Federico Chávez Careaga (February 15, 1882 – April 24, 1978) was a
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 th ...
an
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
and
soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
who served as
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
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 bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
from September 10, 1949, to May 4, 1954. He was a member of the Colorado Party.
Early life
Chávez was born on February 15, 1882, in
Paraguarí
Paraguarí (; gn, Paraguari) is a city, '' distrito'' and capital of Paraguarí Department in Paraguay, located 66 km from the country's capital, Asunción. At the 2002 census it had a population of 22,154.law degree in 1905, was a longtime leader of the right-of-centre National Republican Association, better known as the Colorado Party. When his party served in a coalition
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
in 1946, Chávez was appointed to the Supreme Court. He served as Paraguay's foreign minister from 1947. He was elected in April 1949 as President of the Chamber of Representatives,https://www.csj.gov.py/cache/lederes/P-1-011949-L-85-0.pdf and kept that post until he became president in September 1949. He was elected for a three-year term in 1950 and later reelected in 1953. When Chávez tried to strengthen his regime by arming the national police in 1954, a
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
led by General
Alfredo Stroessner
Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda (; 3 November 1912 – 16 August 2006) was a Paraguayan army officer and politician who served as President of Paraguay from 15 August 1954 to 3 February 1989.
Stroessner led a coup d'état on 4 May 1954 with t ...
on May 4 ended his administration.
Death
Chávez died on 24 April 1978 at the age of 96 in the city of
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 ...
, from natural causes. He was buried with full state honours; Stroessner attended the services. When Isidro Ayora died on 22 March 1978 until his own death, he became the oldest living state leader.