Manuel Gondra

Manuel Gondra Pereira (1 January 1871 – 8 March 1927) was the 21st President of Paraguay who served from 25 November 1910 to 11 January 1911 and again from 15 August 1920 to 31 October 1921. Born in Buenos Aires, he was also an author, a journalist and a member of the Liberal Party. His first presidency was ended by the rise of Albino Jara, while his second presidency by chaos in the Paraguayan Civil War of 1922, of which he led the Gondrist faction to victory.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Gondra and the second or maternal family name is Pereira.
Manuel Gondra
21st President of Paraguay
In office
15 August 1920 – 31 October 1921
Vice PresidentFélix Paiva
Preceded byJosé Pedro Montero
Succeeded byFélix Paiva
In office
25 November 1910 – 11 January 1911
Vice PresidentJuan Bautista Gaona
Preceded byEmiliano González Navero
Succeeded byAlbino Jara
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay
In office
1 January 1913 – 23 January 1918
Preceded byEusebio Ayala
Succeeded byEusebio Ayala
Minister of War and Navy of Paraguay
In office
23 March 1912 – 1 January 1913
Preceded byEmiliano González Navero
Succeeded byGeneral Patricio Alejandrino Escobar
Minister of the Interior of Paraguay
In office
4 July 1908 – 1 January 1909
Preceded byManuel Benitez
Succeeded byManuel Franco
Personal details
Born
Manuel Gondra Pereira

1 January 1871
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died8 March 1927(1927-03-08) (aged 56)
Asunción, Paraguay
NationalityParaguay Paraguayan
Political partyAuthentic Radical Liberal Party
SpouseEmilia Victoria Alfaro
Children4
ProfessionAuthor, Journalist, Politician
Other offices
  • 1905-1908: Plenipotentiary ambassador to Brazil
  • Paraguayan ambassador to the United States

Manuel Gondra died on 8 March 1927 in Asunción.

Early life and career

Manuel Gondra was born on the 1 January 1871, Buenos Aires. Although he did well in school and was reportedly a good student, he chose to leave schooling, never achieving a diploma. Rather, he chose to be a self-taught scholar of many subjects, including the social sciences, history of the Americas, and geography. He received some success in this field. However, his career as an intellectual came to a pause when he joined the Revolution of 1904 on the side of the Liberals.[1] After this, he became the Plenipotentiary ambassador to Brazil in 1905. His diligence would see him later be assigned as the Minister of the Interior, then Minister of War and Navy, and then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay.[2]

At some point he was also made ambassador to the United States.[3]

Presidential career

First tenure

Manuel Gondra's initial candidacy was widely supported by both intellectuals and the citizenry of Paraguay. He assumed office on 25 November 1910.[4] As president of a Paraguay reeling from internal crises, Gondra was written by Arturo Bray as having an "abulic temperament, to the despair of his friends, which has cost the country so much blood."[1]

Gondra's presidency came to an end when Colonel Albino Jara launched a coup against him on 17 August 1911, despite sharing similar political agenda. This was a result of the collapsing liberal movement in Paraguay.[4][5]

Second tenure

After much of the chaos following Jara's coup subsided, Manuel Gondra sought re-election. His campaign was met with victory, and he assumed office on 15 August 1920. However, this was not without its controversy. Immediately following, the supporters of the opposing candidate, schaereristas, and their leader Eduardo Schaerer (who Gondra formerly served under) erupted into violence, in what became the Paraguayan Civil War. In this emerging civil war, Eduardo Schaerer pressured the Interior Minister José Guggiari (a close ally) to resign, but Gondra resisted. For this pressure and lost power, he was forced into resignation on 31 October 1921.[6]

References
  1. "Manuel Gondra, the president who did not read Machiavelli". Terere Complice. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  2. "Biografía de Manuel Gondra ya enriquece las bibliotecas - Artes y Espectáculos - ABC Color". www.abc.com.py (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  3. "Manuel Gondra studying at the University of Texas". UTA Libraries Digital Gallery/digitalgallery-beta. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  4. "6. Paraguay (1904-present)". uca.edu. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  5. "Paraguay - Liberal Decades". countrystudies.us. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  6. "La Guerra Civil Parguaya 1922-1923". www.histarmar.com.ar. Retrieved 15 October 2022.


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