Felipe Molas López

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Felipe Molas López (1900 - 1954) was President of Paraguay from February 27, 1949 - September 10, 1949, when he resigned.

Molas was born in Asunción, Paraguay in 1901. He studied to be a dentist, in Paris, becoming one of the firsts paraguayans to get a degree in that field.

He became a member of the Colorado Party, in his early 20. The party, on the opposition right then, split in 1927, facing a purpousal of the liberal government, headed by president Eligio Ayala. Ayala offered the colorados to participate in the draft of a new elections law, in his intention of achieving equal participation for the upcoming election for the congress. this caused the split amongst the "eleccionistas" (electionists), who accepted the offer, and the "abstencionistas" (abstentionists), who wanted a stronger and radical opposition against the government. Molas joined to the last group and became a close aide to their leader, former president Pedro P. Peña.

Between 1932 and 1935, Molas participated in the Chaco War against Bolivia, having been recruited to the Health Service of the Paraguayan Army.

After the war, Molas achieved a major role in paraguayan politics, with his appointment as the Major of the capital city of Asunción, in February 1936. In that same month, a military and civil coalition overthrew the liberal government of president Eusebio Ayala.

The Colorado Party returned to power in January 1947, following a failed multiparty coalition, and with the support of then president Gral. Higinio Morínigo. After a civil war started, in march of the same year, Molas

Presidents of Paraguay
C.A. López | F.S. López | Machain* | Rivarola | Jovellanos* | Gill | Uriarte | Bareiro | Caballero | Escobar | J.G. González | M. Morínigo* | Egusquiza | Aceval | Carvallo* | Escurra | Gaona* | Báez* | Ferreira | González Navero* | Gondra | Jara* | Rojas* | Peña* | González Navero* | Schaerer | M. Franco | Montero* | Gondra | Eus. Ayala* | El. Ayala* | Riart* | El. Ayala | Guggiari | Eus. Ayala | R. Franco* | Paiva | Estigarribia | H. Morínigo | Frutos* | J.N. González | Rolón* | Molas | Chávez | Romero* | Stroessner | Rodríguez | Wasmosy | Cubas | González Macchi | Duarte * acting, interim, or provisional