Juan Crisóstomo Centurión y Martinez (27 January 1840 – 12 March 1902) was a

Paraguayan Paraguayans () are the citizens of Paraguay. Though the majority of Paraguayans reside in Paraguay, significant communities have been established in multiple countries, most noticeably Argentina, Spain, United States, Brazil. History The first ...

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

officer and politician. He served with distinction in the Triple Alliance War, and afterwards held a wide variety of positions in the Paraguayan governmental structure, including that of

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

Biography

Early life and studies

Centurión was born to Francisco Antonio Pérez de Centurión, a lawyer, and Rosalía Martínez y Rodas in 1840 in

Itauguá Itauguá () is a city of the Central Department, Paraguay. Founded in 1728, it is known for the ñandutí, a form of traditional lacemaking, and its music. The San Rafael Museum shows various objects from the Colonial Age. The National Hospit ...

, a town located circa 30 kilometers away from the Paraguayan capital

Asunción Asunción (, ) 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 Asunción in the north ...

. After studying in a provincial school during his youth, he moved to Asunción, where he was a pupil of foreign teachers such as the Spaniard Ildefonso Bermejo and the Frenchman Pedro Dupuy; he also joined the philosophy seminar, which was headed by then president

Carlos Antonio López Carlos Antonio López Ynsfrán (November 4, 1792 – September 10, 1862) was leader of Paraguay from 1841 to 1862. Under his presidency, he undertook a process of economic and political modernization for Paraguay, and ended the isolationist poli ...

. In 1858 he was chosen by the government to embark to Europe to study at universities there – he graduated in law at the King's College in London, and studied

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German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

and

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...

as well. With the rising tensions between

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

, he was summoned back in 1863; the Triple Alliance War broke out in the following year.

The Triple Alliance War

Initially, back in Paraguay, he served as secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and translator, positions he held throughout the war; simultaneously, he directed a school where he taught geography and languages, and wrote for the government military organ ''

El Cabichuí ''El Cabichuí'' was an early biweekly Paraguayan governmental trench newspaper, written and printed near the front during the Siege of Humaitá in the Paraguayan War, aimed at being read by the Paraguayan Army soldiery. Directed by Juan Cris� ...

''. He was present as an observer at the

Battle of Riachuelo The Battle of Riachuelo (or Battle of the Riachuelo) was a large and decisive naval battle of the Paraguayan War between Paraguay and the Empire of Brazil. By late 1864, Paraguay had scored a series of victories in the war, but on 11 June 1865, ...

in 1865, and was made a Knight of the National Order of Merit in 1866, then Officer of the Order in January 1869. In 1868, he was a member of the tribunals which mass convicted citizens in the San Fernando massacre. As the war wound down, in 1869, Centurión was a Colonel in the

Paraguayan Army The Paraguayan Army () is the ground force branch of the Armed Forces of Paraguay. It is organized into three corps and nine divisions, and several commands and direction. It has gone to war on many occasions, notably in the War of the Triple A ...

, having been instated into the army as a Sergeant Major after the

Battle of Lomas Valentinas The Battle of Lomas Valentinas (also known as the Battle of Itá Ybaté) was fought in the Central Department of Paraguay on December 21–27, 1868. The Paraguayan Army, led personally by president Francisco Solano López, was decisively defeat ...

. He commanded a battalion of riflemen in the

Battle of Cerro Corá The Battle of Cerro Corá () was the last battle of the Paraguayan War, fought on 1 March 1870, in the vicinity of Cerro Corá, northeast of Paraguay's capital Asunción. It is known for being the battle in which Francisco Solano López, Par ...

and was wounded there in the mouth, losing a considerable part of his teeth and tongue to a bullet. He was then taken prisoner to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

After the War

After his release in 1870, he resided in France, the United States, and

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, before eventually returning to Paraguay in 1878. He soon started working in the country's press, contributing to newspapers such as ''La Reforma'' and ''La Democracia'', and also as a lawyer. He was made Minister of the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

and Attorney General for the State in the 1880s;Registro Oficial de la Republica del Paraguay – 1876–1885
/ref> afterwards, he was made

during

Patricio Escobar Patricio Escobar (March 17, 1843 – April 19, 1912) was President of Paraguay between November 25, 1886, and November 25, 1890. His life Escobar was born in San José de los Arroyos on March 17, 1843. His parents were José Escobar and Ana Be ...

's government. He was a founding member of the long-standing Colorado Party, and of the Instituto Paraguayo, the country's main intellectual organization for much of the late 19th century and early 20th century. In the 1890s, he was made

minister plenipotentiary An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under the ...

to the United Kingdom, France and

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. In 1895 he became, however, a

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

. He is famed for having published, in the latter years of his life, a detailed account of his experiences during the war, titled "Memorias ó Reminiscencias históricas sobre la Guerra del Paraguay" istorical Memories and Remembrances regarding the Triple Alliance War Earlier, in 1877, he had published the novel "Viaje nocturno de Gualberto o recuerdos y reflexiones de un ausente" ualberto's nightly trip or an absentee's memories and reflectionsunder a pseudonym, which is thought to be the first novel ever published by a Paraguayan writer. He died in Asunción, in the 12th of March 1902.

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Centurión, Juan 1840 births 1902 deaths People from Itauguá People of the Paraguayan War Ministers of foreign affairs of Paraguay Paraguayan male writers Paraguayan male journalists Paraguayan prisoners of war Colorado Party (Paraguay) politicians Members of the Senate of Paraguay Justices of the Supreme Court of Paraguay