Tomas Romero Pereira

Tomás Romero Pereira (Encarnación, October 4, 1886-Asunción, August 12, 1982) was a Paraguayan politician, military man and architect who served as the 41st.er provisional president of the Republic of Paraguay from May 8 to August 15, 1954, after the coup of State that overthrew President Chaves. His assumption of command was with the intention of legitimizing the future government of Alfredo Stroessner, so in July of that year the general elections of 1954 were held, from which Stroessner emerged victorious.

Romero Pereira is known as one of the historical leaders of the Colorado Party, to which he joined in 1908. He held the positions of Minister of Public Works and the Interior twice, during the governments of Federico Chaves and Alfredo Stroessner. Once his presidency was over, he continued to be closely linked to his party, being one of the drafters of the 1967 constitution. He continued to be active in politics until the early 1980s.

In addition to his work as a politician, Romero Pereira also carried out military work, specializing in Argentina and later being part of the Paraguayan army during the revolutions of the late 1910s. These military skills earned him the challenge of going to defense in 1932. of the Paraguayan Chaco, during the war with Bolivia, which was later followed by his expanded political work of which he was the protagonist during the government of Alfredo Stroessner.

Biography

He was born in the city of Encarnación, Department of Itapúa, on October 4, 1886. He was the son of Emilio (or Emiliano) Romero, from Corrientes, and Rosa Isabel Pereira, who was one of the many surviving residents of the War of the Triple Alliance. His brothers were Rosa Isabel (married to Félix Genes), Josefa, Sandalia, Cayo (married to Clodomira Casabianca) and Emilio.

Between 1899 and 1901 his secondary studies were completed at the National School of Encarnación. On February 4, 1902 he continued his studies, this time from the fourth year in the Capital of the Republic. He graduated with a gold medal from the National College of the Capital. As soon as he graduated from the 5th grade, he obtained, based on merit, a scholarship that was awarded to him by the Argentine government to continue his studies at the National Military College. Later he studied architecture at the University of La Plata. He also completed a specialization in Paris, France.

Military action

Tomás Romero Pereira remained at the National Military College between 1904 and 1906, graduating - the third among 47 students - as a Second Lieutenant of Cavalry. He immediately returned to Paraguay enlisting in the ranks of the National Army; However, during the Revolution of July 2, 1908, where President Benigno Ferreira was deposed, he requested the termination of his services within the militia due to the harassment to which he was subjected by the liberal government. In September 1908 he was arrested and sent to Argentina as an exile. In 1909, he participated in the subversive movement against the liberal government of Emiliano González Navero, fighting in the red revolution of Los Laureles in which the results were negative for the goal of the National Republican Association. In that revolt, his brother Emilio died from gunshot wounds.

During the Centennial civil war (1911-1912) - unleashed between the two predominant factions within the Liberal Party, on the one hand the civic liberals and on the other the radicalized liberals, who fought each other - President Liberato Marcial resigned Rojas (civic liberal) -. The congress names Dr. Pedro Pablo Peña as his successor, beginning an ephemeral Colorado government. Romero Pereira was restored to the ranks of the National Army, with the rank of captain, for which he was appointed to the task of defending the city of Luque in order to counteract the revolutionary forces, who were superior in terms of human resources and military weapons. Despite the forces deployed, the Republicans were defeated by rebels related to the Liberal Party. However, Romero Pereira managed to save his life.

Marriage

Already officially established in Paraguay, on April 25, 1929 he married the young Lilia Isabel Arza Taboada with whom he had a total of six children: Rosa Isabel (married to Carlos A. Saldívar), Marta (married to Juan Segalés), Lilia (married to Gaspar Lluch), Carlos Francisco (future minister, married to Teresa Gross Brown), María Cristina (married to José Conti) and Susana (married to José Puente).

Political exile

During the liberal contest of 1908, Romero Pereira had resigned from fighting in the official army, due to the problems that faced him with the liberals, when signing his resignation he had mentioned that "thus ended my short odyssey in the liberal army'.

He is exiled with a group of opponents of the regime to Buenos Aires, where he had already been in previous years. Among that group of exiles was General Bernardino Caballero, founder and main reference of the Colorado Party. In October 1908 Tomás Romero Pereira officially joined the Colorado Party by signing the "red book" of affiliation, as an important fact, Romero's father was an important collaborator of Bernardino Caballero in the post-war revolutions of the 70s.

He returned to exile in Argentina where he completed his previous learning in Architecture. He graduated from the University of La Plata in 1914, becoming one of the few Paraguayans to graduate from said degree; however, shortly after completing his degree he returned to Paraguay. Due to the anarchy prevailing in the country, Romero Pereira decides to seek asylum in Brazil where he manages to settle for a short period, and then move to Spain and then France, where he completed several specializations related to his profession. While he was in France, the onslaught of the First World War was ravaging Europe. This motivated him to enlist in volunteer service to care for the victims and refugees of said war.

Later, at the end of the conflict he was dismantled, moving to Brazil for the second time, later making stops in Chile, Peru, Venezuela and the United States, to return again to France, where he took over the management of an important publishing house. from which he carried out important cultural work. He returned to America, and together with Natalicio González, in 1925 he founded the "Editorial de Indias" in Peru. After comings and goings between Europe and South America, in 1928 he settled permanently in Paraguay, after almost two decades of life abroad.

Political activity

Work as an architect

Upon his return to Paraguay, in 1926, he carried out professional tasks. Collaborator of the then mayor of Asunción Dr. Pedro Bruno Guggiari - whom he greatly appreciated -, he was in charge of the construction of the Carlos A. López park, the new waterfront, the modernization of the Recoleta Cemetery and the initial works of restructuring of the Lady of the Assumption Oratory. He also carried out private works such as the chapel of the Metropolitan Seminary and the private house of Rigoberto Caballero, with murals by the artist Julián de la Herrería.

Beginnings in politics

At the beginning of the 1930s, Tomás Romero Pereira officially began his time in Paraguayan politics. Since 1930 he began to integrate positions within the general administration of the Colorado Party. The general convention of the Party met in December 1931, during the presidency of Dr. Eduardo Fleitas, who served as president of the ANR, elected Tomás Romero Pereira as successor and finally from December 1931, Romero Pereira began to direct the destinations of the Colorado Party.

At that time, there was a terrible political situation, just a few months before, on October 23, 1931, President José Patricio Guggiari was murdered by the presidential guard in the gardens of the López Palace, due to said massacre. He had to resign from the presidency to undergo impeachment. As a protest against the government's reaction during the student massacre that occurred the previous day, the Colorado Party had agreed to the withdrawal of the Colorado parliamentarians from the session, as well as the resignation of high-level administration positions. This position of abstentionism was in force throughout Romero Pereira's party administration. The then vice president Emiliano González Navero assumed the presidency on an interim basis. Finally, José P. Guggiari managed to avoid the impeachment trial and return to serve as president since January 28, 1932.

Performance during the Chaco War

During the first months of 1932, confrontations with Bolivia in the Paraguayan Chaco were already imminent, so Tomás Romero Pereira, in his capacity as president of the Colorado Party, signed a joint declaration on July 24, 1932 urging the Colorado affiliates to agree to a political truce with the liberal government of President José Patricio Guggiari and leave for the military mobilization forts for the fierce defense of the western Paraguayan territory. In part of the note the following was recorded:

“Let’s put aside all the political lines and let’s all be united to defend the sacred homeland flag there in the distance of the Chaco Boreal”

Tomás Romero Pereira himself decided to present his resignation from the ANR party board in July 1932 with the intention of appearing in the theater of operations. In his capacity as a retired military officer, he requests the corresponding permission from the liberal government in order to provide services in the area of operations. The government administration granted him permission and he was appointed Special Chief of Operations of the third Infantry Division. Some time later he was commissioned to the direction of the General Staff, serving as Head of the second Department (referring to strategic information) where he was until January 1935.

Postwar

Once the war with Bolivia was over and peace was signed, Tomás Romero Pereira returned to the Capital at the end of June 1935 to begin his political activism within the National Republican Association. On February 17, 1937, the well-known "Febrerista Revolution" took place, during which Col. Rafael Franco, in command of a military contingent, overthrew the government of Eusebio Ayala, thus ending the string of liberal governments that followed at the beginning of the first half of the century XX. Romero Pereira was one of the main organizers of the party convention of 1938, in which the conformity of the Colorado Party was sealed, after the terrible events of October 23, 1931, leaving Juan León as president of the National Republican Association. Mallorcan, one of the main Colorado leaders of the 20th century. During the Mallorquín administration, the ANR made serious public complaints against the Peace Treaty signed with the Bolivian nation, with the Colorados alleging that the government of Eusebio Ayala handed over more than 50,000 km² of Paraguayan territory to the Andean country.

Beginning and end of the 1940s

In August 1937 the Liberal Party regained the government under Félix Paiva. In those years the Colorado Party had already gone through more than 35 years of political plain, suffering different skirmishes with the liberal government of Paiva, who on August 15, 1939 had handed over power to the hero of the Chaco War, José Félix Estigarribia under whose presidency, the Constitution of 1940 was promulgated, which served as the basis for the subsequent military dictatorships of the 20th century. Tragically, President Estigarribia, his wife and the pilot of the aircraft died in a plane accident in the current city of Loma Grande (former jurisdiction of Altos).

The bid to access power after the death of Estigarribia took place among the military of the high military leadership, from this crossroads the winner was the until then Minister of War and Navy, General Higinio Morínigo Martínez, who began his government on September 7, 1940, at first he integrated his cabinet with liberal politicians from the Estigarribia political line, but just days after taking office, he requested their respective resignations due to suspicions of alleged attempts to remove him from power by a military man more related to the political cause, he finally disassociated himself from all political ties, arguing that his administration would have no relationship with either of the two traditional parties in competition, however, his government would be made up purely of members of the military wing. Already in mid-1946, Morínigo began to clearly link himself with the Colorados under the guidance of Juan Natalicio González, along with Federico Chaves, one of the top leaders within the Colorado Party. In 1942, after the military government of Morínigo ordered the closure of the legal status of the Liberal Party, the Colorado Party, in the face of serious military persecution of political parties, the plenary session of the Colorado Party resolved at the joint meeting on December 14 November 1942 to establish an unexpected delegation so as to take over the complete mandate of the same Government Board, in the hypothetical circumstance that this party body is left with a power vacuum. Among those nominated to be part of said organization was Tomás Romero Pereira.

After the advent of the civil war of 1947, due to the breakdown of the agreement between the military, Colorados and Februaryists, the Colorados officially took over Morínigo's cabinet. At that time, Tomás Romero Pereira had traveled abroad, absenting himself from the experiences during the Morínigo government. In February of the following year, 1948, Natalicio González won the elections to take office on August 15, however, on June 3, 1948, a coup d'état took place against Higinio Morínigo, which was led by the Colorados themselves, Juan Manuel Frutos taking over as his replacement. Natalicio González suffered the same fate when he was overthrown in January 1949. During this year, 4 presidents passed through the Paraguayan government: Juan Natalicio González, Raimundo Rolón, Felipe Molas López and finally, Federico Chaves.

Government of Federico Chaves

On September 11, 1949, after the forced resignation of President Felipe Molas López, Federico Chaves officially assumed the Presidency of the Republic. The following year, in January 1950, Romero Pereira returned to Paraguay to be a participant in the government.. During the government of Federico Chaves, Tomás Romero Pereira carried out various tasks both in the different ministries and within the administration of the Colorado Party. During the time of the Chaves government, there was a time of socioeconomic instabilities. As a result of these continuous instabilities, the government of Federico Chaves suffered a deep political rift, which finally led to political ostracism when he was overthrown in May 1954.

Activity as a minister

Chaves Government

Upon returning to Paraguay in January 1950, Tomás Romero Pereira made his debut as Minister in the Public Works and Communications portfolio on August 15, 1950, replacing the until then Minister Evaristo Méndez Paiva. He held this position until August 4. November 1952, when he was replaced by Gustavo F. Storm. On August 15, 1953, he again held a ministerial position in the Chaves cabinet, but this time in the Ministry of the Interior, replacing Rigoberto Caballero. He served in said ministry until January 7, 1954, when a severe crisis arose. ministerial following the dismissal of the then president of the Central Bank and Colorado politician Epifanio Méndez Fleitas, as a result of this dismissal, Romero Pereira presents his resignation to the president and finally distances himself from the government of Federico Chaves.

Stroessner Government

As soon as Romero Pereira handed over command to Alfredo Stroessner, the latter appointed him as his first Minister of the Interior from August 15, 1954 until May 1, 1956, when he was replaced by Edgar Ynsfrán in said portfolio. He returned to occupy the Ministry of Public Works and Communications, replacing General Marcial Samaniego from May 8, 1960 to September 17, 1962. During his ministerial administration, various road works were started, including those that connect Concepción and the city of Pedro Juan Caballero, from Eusebio Ayala to the current area of Ciudad del Este), in the Chaco from the city of Villa Hayes to the capital of Boquerón, Philadelphia, from the city of Paraguarí to the capital of the Department of Itapúa, Encarnación. On several occasions during the Stroessner administration he held positions of transcendental importance in the ministerial cabinet. He retired from the Works Cabinet in September 1962, being replaced by Mario Coscia.

Arrival to the presidency

End of the Chaves era

Tomás Romero Pereira begins to acquire high relevance within the leadership of the Colorado Party by reviling certain frictions with the government of Federico Chaves. Romero Pereira had been part of the Chaves cabinet on several occasions, the last position he held was that of interior minister, the crisis within the Chaves government increased due to the growing political rivalry between Federico Chaves and Epifanio Méndez Fleitas, in addition to the important influences exerted by the Commander of the Cavalry Col. Néstor Ferreira and Chaves' lover, Isabela Vallejos in the executive, added to the president's advanced age and his lack of leadership.

Little by little, the Colorado Party and the Military Forces (with the exception of the Cavalry and the Police) were withdrawing their support for the president. All political-military intentions aimed to catapult its then Commander in Chief, General Alfredo Stroessner, to the presidency of the Republic. The Chaves government was overcoming various difficulties during the years 1952 and 1953, until the decisive year 1954 arrived. The first crisis occurred on January 7, 1954, when Epifanio Méndez Fleitas presented his resignation as president of the Central Bank of Paraguay. because of relations with the Chavista government. As a protest against such an act, the Ministers of Finance, Guillermo Enciso Velloso, and the Minister of the Interior, Tomás Romero Pereira, also presented their resignations. At that time, Enciso Velloso served as president of the Colorado Party, while Romero Pereira served as vice president of said entity. The following month, Guillermo Enciso Velloso was absent from the party presidency to exercise a diplomatic position abroad, so for the second time in his life, Tomás Romero Pereira returned to serve as president of the Governing Board at times of serious tensions between the Chaves administration and the Colorado Party.

The political situation was increasingly unsustainable, so the debate focused on who could replace Chaves in case of acephaly in the Executive. Alfredo Stroessner had the tacit support of the Colorado Party and the Military Forces, who were already planning the future coup against the weak and ruinous government of Federico Chaves. The action that would finally trigger the coup was an event carried out by a Chaves loyalist, Néstor Ferreira, Commander of the Cavalry, who at the beginning of the month of May sent the order for the capture of the soldier Virgilio Candia (loyal to Stroessner), commander of the third cavalry regiment 'Col. Mongelós" Without having previously informed his hierarchical superior, General Alfredo Stroessner, this action provoked Stroessner's anger towards Chaves, generating a military crisis with no return for the government.

Because of this action, Stroessner ordered the arrest of the Commander of the Cavalry, Néstor Ferreira at the Central Headquarters, who finally showed up in the last hours of May 4 to comply with said order. At approximately 8:00 p.m., contingents from the No. 1 Cavalry Division, located in Luque, advanced towards the Capital with the intention of freeing their commander. They were intercepted by troops of Infantry Regiment No. 14 "Cerro Corá" on the current España Avenue and by contingents corresponding to the military academy at the intersection of Perú Avenues and the current Artigas Avenue. Chaves, informed of the uprising, decided to take refuge in the premises of the military academy in Asunción (Avda. 14 de Mayo corner El Paraguayo Independiente), arriving at said premises in a surprising manner at approximately 9:00 p.m. Chaves, with the intention of taking charge of the Command in Chief of the Armed Forces, did not achieve his goal, so in the last hours of May 4, 1954 he signed his irrevocable resignation from the nation's first magistracy.

Governmental acephaly

Once Chaves' resignation was signed at the end of the day, the Executive Branch remained headless, since Tomás Romero Pereira, in his capacity as president of the Colorado Party, had suggested that Stroessner not immediately assume the presidency, since in the face of the International opinion would leave the impression that the Stroessner government was a de facto and undemocratic government. Stroessner backed down on that intention, so he waited for elections to be held in which he would be the only candidate.

The search for a presidential successor was intense, beginning in the early hours of May 5, motions came and went, until finally the Colorado Party itself, meeting in full, proposed its president, Tomás Romero Pereira as successor to Chaves. This is how the Government Board appointed by majority Tomás Romero Pereira as temporary President of the nation after incessant negotiations undertaken by Romero Pereira himself with the intention of unifying the political forces within the Colorado Party and giving Stroessner the necessary time to prepare his early candidacy for the presidency.

Presidency

Cabinet

Tomás Romero Pereira formed his provisional cabinet as follows:

Ministries of the Government of Tomás Romero Pereira
Portfolio	Owner	Period
Ministry of the Interior	Gustavo F. Storm	8 May 1954 - 15 August 1954
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship	Hipólito Sánchez Quell	8 May 1954 - 15 August 1954
Ministry of Finance	Carlos Velilla	8 May 1954 - 15 August 1954
Ministry of Education and Worship	Luis Martínez Miltos	8 May 1954 - 15 August 1954
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Alejandro Gaona	8 May 1954 - 15 August 1954
Ministry of National Defence	Morinigo	8 May 1954 - 15 August 1954
Ministry of Public Works and Communications	Marcial Samaniego	8 May 1954 - 15 August 1954
Ministry of Public Health and Social Security	Enrique Zacarías Arza	8 May 1954 - 15 August 1954
Ministry of Industry and Trade	César Barrientos	8 May 1954 - 15 August 1954
Ministry of Justice	Fabio Da Silva	8 May 1954 - 15 August 1954

Provisional Presidency

On the morning of May 8, 1954, after incessant political negotiations, Tomás Romero Pereira was sworn in as provisional President of Paraguay before the House of Representatives. During the administration of Romero Pereira, there were several negotiations between the Colorado Party and Alfredo Stroessner so that the latter could be nominated by the Colorado Party as a presidential candidate for the 1954 general elections.

On May 17, 1954, the governing board of the Colorado Party issued an extensive statement which was distributed to all sections of the country, in which the events that culminated in the coup of May 4 were explained. The statement was signed by the then president of the Colorado Party, José Zacarías Arza, and by the secretaries, Enrique Zacarías Arza and Martín Valiente Gómez. This version of events attributes almost all of the leading role in the overthrow of Chaves to the governing board of the ANR and grants the then president, Romero Pereira, unusual influence even in the military establishment, which may have been unlikely given that The prestige of the board at that time was quite undermined and the entity did not have enough strength to be the only factor of change in the situation of the country. In this case it can be affirmed that the main role was of the military and among them, notably and substantially, of Alfredo Stroessner, established as a leader to whom Colorado had to adapt in order not to run the risk of being eradicated from the government scene.

The document referred to by the ANR expressed among the remote antecedents of the May 1954 coup that Chaves tried to subvert order within the party. Likewise, Lieutenant Colonel Néstor Ferreira was harshly attacked, who, holding the high military position of commander of the Cavalry Division, had "direct interference" in Luque's party politics. “Commander Ferreira proclaimed the Luque Section and its armed bands as the Second Cavalry Division,” the document stated. Among the immediate political background, the Colorado Party expressed that “it had been decided (December 1953) from above and in agreement with the "Second Civil Cavalry Division" and other rebel elements, the displacement of the aforementioned officials,” referring to Méndez Fleitas, Enciso Velloso, Romero Pereira and López Martínez.

Government works

During the short administration of Romero Pereira:

• The Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs were amended. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship moves the Ministry of Worship to the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Education and Worship.
• By Decree of 20 May 1954, the Argentine Government returned to Paraguay the weapons and badges obtained during the War against the Triple Alliance, with the aim of strengthening diplomatic ties between the two countries.
• On July 11, 1954, general elections are held in which, as the sole candidate, the military Alfredo Stroessner becomes a triumphant insurance.

Romero Pereira's administration came to an end on August 15, 1954, handing over power to the recently elected Alfredo Stroessner. Romero Pereira's administration, despite its short duration, was of utmost importance in strengthening the relationship between the future Stroessner government and the governing board of the Colorado Party.

Post-presidency

When he left the presidency of the Republic on August 15, 1954, Tomás Romero Pereira returned to the political arena, once again having active political participation within the Colorado Party. He was closely linked to the government of Alfredo Stroessner, being one of the main links between the Colorado Party and the Stroessner government in the first half of his mandate. At different times he held the positions of Minister of the Interior and of Public Works.

Due to his outstanding work during his presidency, the general convention of the party convened for March 4, 1956 confirmed him again as President of the Party and conferred on him the title of "Builder of the great red concertation." And in September 1958 the Convention re-elected him as president of the highest body established within the Party. In later years, the position of Ministry without Portfolio was created, with the objective of establishing a means of greater comprehensive relations between both the government and the Party, and Romero Pereira was the first Paraguayan to preside over said state portfolio. In the company of the then president Alfredo Stroessner, the construction of the operational headquarters of the party newspaper "PATRIA" next to the headquarters of the Colorado Party and the social headquarters called “Colorado róga”. He exercised the party administration until the national convention established in September 1960, bequeathing the position to also the Colorado leader J. Bernardino Gorostiaga.

On March 1, 1965, he formally handed over to the Paraguayan State the lands that were in his property. This property included the last two pavilions of the emblematic Cerro León camp, where the troops under the command of Mcal were at one time. Francisco Solano López. With his own financing, he began the restoration of the old war pavilions, thus avoiding the loss of an important fundamental element of the history legacy of that great war of 1870.

As a representative of his party he had the honor of presiding over the Constituent Assembly held in 1967, with the broad participation of elected Conventional members of the National Republican Association, the Authentic Radical Liberal Party and the Feberista Revolutionary Party. His prominent work in the direction and administration of the joint sessions contributed to the national convention's approval of the first Magna Carta, which resulted from the majority participation of certain political sectors of the country, despite the limitations imposed by the dictatorship. This constitution was sworn on August 15, 1967, and he was one of the main architects of said constitution.

Tomás Romero Pereira's contributions in education were also various, as he was personally responsible for the construction and financing of various schools, among which they bear the names of his closest relatives in tribute to them. i> But also with his own money, he founded various public libraries nationwide. He also served as senator of the nation from August 15, 1973 to August 15, 1978.

Decorations

On August 15, 1968, Stroessner asked him to resume his ministerial functions in the portfolio Ministry, with Romero Pereira accepting to return to office, a function he fulfilled until his last days. Previously, the national convention of the Colorado Party awarded him with the highest honorary distinction that the Colorado Party grants to its members: the “General Bernardino Caballero Medal of Merit.” In the Chaco area of Fortín “General Díaz”, on June 15, 1972, General Andrés Rodríguez, Commander of the Cavalry Division No. 1 “General Bernardino Caballero”, decorated him with the Medal of honor conferred by the cavalry groups for their outstanding work during the Chaco War.

Death

He was closely linked to the government of Alfredo Stroessner, serving as political advisor to the president until his death. Tomás Romero Pereira died on August 12, 1982 in the city of Asunción at the age of 95, becoming one of the few former Paraguayan presidents who overcame the age of 90. Due to his commendable work in the service of his country, the then president Alfredo Stroessner promulgated a decree by which national mourning was proclaimed on August 13, 1982 and official mourning for a period of one week. It was also determined to pay honors in his capacity as the late former Colorado president, in accordance with what was established.

The mortal remains of the deceased architect were laid to rest at the headquarters of the Palacio de los López, specifically in the Independencia room. Distinguished national and foreign authorities attended the wake, including President Alfredo Stroessner. Those personalities with whom he established a lasting friendship throughout his life and political actions paraded before his coffin. Once the day of tributes was over, Tomás Romero Pereira was buried in the Recoleta Cemetery in the capital city.

Tribute

In tribute to his great political work, in the Department of Itapúa, northern zone, the district of Tomás Romero Pereira receives that name, said district was founded on September 22, 1983, becoming over the years a prosperous city with a hardworking population, honoring the name of the character they bear.