CENTRAL BANK OF THE REPUBLIC OF PARAGUAY
CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 69 ULTRA CAMEO
.
DICTATORSHIP OF PRESIDENT GENERAL ALFREDO STROESSNER MATIAUDA (1954-1989)
COMMEMORATING 100 YEARS OF REPUBLICAN NATIONALISM
RARE GOLD TWO-HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND GUARANIES
OBV: CONJOINED BUSTS OF CABALLERO AND STROESSNER LEFT; ANNIVERSARY DATES BELOW.
REV: WITHIN CIRCLE 3/4 VIEW OF THE FACADE OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF PARAGUAY; DENOMINATION AT BOTTOM OF OUTER CIRCLE.
KM # 172
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN ASSOCIATION PARTY, OR COLORADO PARTY, OF PARAGUAY WAS FOUNDED IN 1887 BY THEN PRESIDENT GENERAL JUAN BERNARDINO CABALLERO de AÑASCO y MELGAREJO (b. 1839-d. 1912). THE COLORADO PARTY WAS THE RULING PARTY OF PARAGUAY FOR 61 YEARS OF THE COUNTRY'S HISTORY SINCE THE PARTY'S FOUNDING. MOST RECENTLY, THE COLORADO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WAS DEFEATED IN 2008.
BERNARDINO CABALLERO, ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS OF THE ARMY DURING THE PARAGUAYAN WAR vs. ARGENTINA, BRAZIL AND URAGUAY (1864-1870). HE WAS AN IMPORTANT LEADER OF REAR GUARD ACTIONS, BECAME THE LOYAL ASSISTANT OF PRESIDENT LOPÉZ, AND BECAME A GENERAL. HE HELPED HIS FRIEND CÁNDIDO BERREIRO BECOME PRESIDENT. BERREIRO DIED IN OFFICE IN 1880, AND CABALLERO BECAME VICE PRESIDENT UNDER ADOLFO SAGUIER. CABALLERO ORGANIZED A COUP AGAINST SAGUIER AND TOOK POWER FOR HIMSELF IN 1881. TO RAISE FUNDS, HE PRIVATIZED MUCH OF THE COUNTRY'S LAND. AFTER HIS TERM WAS OVER IN 1886, HE RIGGED THE ELECTION FOR HIS CANDIDATE, PATRICIO ESCOBAR. HIS OPPONENTS FOUNDED THE LIBERAL PARTY IN RESPONSE, AND HE IN TURN FOUNDED THE COLORADO PARTY. HE RETAINED MUCH CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY AS THE COMMANDING GENERAL OF THE ARMY, UNTIL THE LIBERAL'S TOOK OVER FOR A TIME IN 1904.
ALFREDO STROESSNER MATIAUDA (b. 1912-d. 2006), WAS ANOTHER MILITARY OFFICER THAT CAME TO POWER AFTER AN ARMY COUP IN 1954. STROESSNER WAS THE LONGEST RULING LEADER OF 20th CENTURY LATIN AMERICA. HIS OPPRESSIVE RULE LASTED 35 YEARS UNTIL HE WAS OVERTHROWN IN 1989 BY ANOTHER MILITARY STRONGMAN. BACKED BY THE UNITED STATES FOR HIS STAUNCH ANTI-COMMUNIST STANCE, HE RULED HIS COUNTRY WITH A CAMPAIGN OF STATE-TERROR AND SECURITY OPERATIONS AS IF IT WERE IN A CONSTANT "STATE OF SIEGE". HE HAD HIS OPPONENTS TORTURED AND SUPPRESSED, MADE THE COLORADO PARTY THE SOLE LEGAL POLITICAL PARTY, AND ENFORCED A CULT OF PERSONALITY TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. HE CHANGED THE CONSTITUTION TO LEGALIZE HIS EIGHT SOLE-CANDIDATE ELECTIONS TO THE PRESIDENCY, AND PACKED THE LEGISLATURE AND COURTS WITH HIS SUPPORTERS. PARAGUAY BECAME A HAVEN FOR DRUG AND ARMS SMUGGLERS, EX-LATIN AMERICAN DICTATORS AND NAZI WAR CRIMINALS. KIDNAPPING, TORTURE, FORCED DISSAPPEARANCES AND MURDER WERE ROUTINE DURING STROESSNER'S REGIME. AMONG THE MOST SHOCKING RENOWN EXAMPLES OF THE BRUTALITY OF HIS REIGN, IS THE TALE OF THE DISMEMBERMENT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE PARAGUAYAN COMMUNIST PARTY WITH A CHAINSAW WHILE STROESSNER LISTENED ON THE PHONE. IN 1974, THE UNITED NATIONS ACCUSED PARAGUAY OF GENOCIDE AND SLAVERY AGAINST THE ACHÉ INDIANS. MOST PARAGUAYANS REGARD STROESSNER AS A CORRUPT AND AUTHORITARIAN DICTATOR WHO AMASSED AN IMMENSE RECORD OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, OTHERS CONSIDER THAT HIS REIGN BROUGHT STABILITY AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS.
CONTAINS 46 GRAMS OF .917 FINE GOLD (1.3561 OZS AGW)
38 MM IN DIAMETER
500 MINTED, 250 REMELTED
ONLY 250 ESTIMATED TO EXIST!
