Fulgencio Yegros



Fulgencio Yegros y Franco de Torres (b. 1780 in Quyquyhó, d. 1821) was Paraguayan soldier and first head of state of independent Paraguay.

Life
Yegros was born to a family of military tradition and also pursued a military career. He studied in Asunción and joined the army. He had his first combat experiences in 1802 against the Portuguese and in 1807 when he was part of the Paraguayan forces that defended Buenos Aires during British invasions of the Río de la Plata. He ranked captain in 1810 and was given the governorship of Misiones.

Yegros and Pedro Juan Caballero were the main military figures in the revolution of May 1811, which led to the independence of Paraguay. Following independence, Yegros and José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia were chosen as Consuls of the Republic following the model of the French Revolution. He founded the first military academy in independent Paraguay.

Yegros was more of a military man than politician, and his role as Consul of Paraguay was marginalised by Francia. His terms as Consul were from 19 June 1811 to 12 October 1813 and from 12 February 1814 to 12 June 1814. After his last term, Francia became the sole ruler of Paraguay, and Yegros retired from public life to his estate.

In 1820, Yegros was a participant in the revolution that tried to oust Francia. Following the failure of the revolution, Yegros was imprisoned and was later executed on 17 July 1821.