Stronist Dictatorship and its Imaginary Construction in Paraguay (1960-1980)

Abstract

This article studies how the Stroessner dictatorship built and manufactured its myths along its first twenty years of government, and how these myths were incorporated into the imaginary of the leaders and supporters of de Colorado Party in the country, in the political opposition, and at the Paraguayan and foreign researchers. Starting from a critical analysis of the different books, pamphlets, speech, produced between the 50s and 70s by the Colorado political leaders, intellectuals and the ANR-Colorado Party propaganda teem between the ‘60s and ‘70s, it’s possible to understand the survival of a “Stronismo spirits” on an important segment of the Paraguayan population, after more than thirty of its overthrown. This work introduces a starting point of considering the Stronismo as a Deformed Military Bloc (Bloque Militar Deformado), relating the Military Bloc that emerged in 1936 and goes until 1947.