| What organization with credentials remained credible at that crucial moment ... to channel the pending democratic revolution? We had left the Colorado Party, nothing less than the original branch of the post-war (1865-70) National Party, teleologically committed to reconstructing the independent Paraguay that had fallen on March 1, 1870. It could not have been otherwise: Lt. Col. Enrique Gimenez, a colorado officer, was to be one of the key figures at kick off time. (12) On June 9, 1946, at the Campo Grande First Cavalry Division there broke out the latent dissatisfaction of the young officers against the regime, represented mainly by the "War Front" (Frente de Guerra) its creator and sustainer.(13) It's important to emphasize that this event denoted a revolutionary impulse similar to that of February '36. On July 26, 1946, the Morinigo-Colorado-Febrerista coalition government was established through the socalled "Gentlemen's pact" (Pacto de Caballeros) Morinigo was obviously trying to remain in power indefinitely, and the Colorado and Febrerista parties were attempting to assume it. In a country like ours, without a background in participatory democracy -although with legitimate governments until 1870-, a country where-in, since 1870 we have just the experience of removing the ruling party by violence ... There, naturally, each of those composing the coalition government were going to play their own tactical game, and so they all did. The Colorado Party, which did not have the backing of the Armed Forces and just counted on few friends within them, set its hopes on the enormous popular mass support, that gave it a great electoral posibility. Therefore, it proposed free elections in a period of six months. Febrerismo, which had the endorsement of most high ranking officers and servicemen, foresaw its major chances through a military revolt. And Morinigo for his part, favored the activities of the 'Red Standard' (Guion Rojo) minority faction of our party with a clear totalitarian tendency, the stronismo's antecedent, as a colorado political heresy. (14) Morinigo even allowed under his administration the take over of the Colorado Convention -Nov 18, 1947- by the Guionistas, as a way to undermine Coloradismo. On January 11, 1947, at the end of a series of meeting held in the General Staff by the High Commanders, they decreed the Colorados' removal from office, previously -underground- agreeing with the Febreristas to withdraw in order to prepare the conditions for a total military cabinet. In this manner, the militarist ideology tried again to deviate the institutional process. (15) On the occasion, the top Commanders voted between two options: 1) the establishment of a military cabinet displacing the Colorado Party from governmental post and 2) the establishment of a civil-democratic government maintaining the Colorado Party in the coalition. |
| THE DEMOCRATIC 'SPRING' |
| WHO REALLY PROVOKED THE CIVIL WAR |