Higinio Morínigo

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General Higinio Morínigo (11 January 1897 – 1985) was a Paraguayan dictator, general and political figure. He served as the President of Paraguay from 7 September 1940 to 3 June 1948.

Morínigo seized absolute power and ruled by decree from 7 December 1940 until 9 June 1946, when he formed a cabinet with the Revolutionary Febrerista Party and the Colorado Party. During his dictatorship, Morínigo faced widespread resistance, including general strikes, but he survived by maintaining the loyalty of the Paraguayan Army, which received 45% of the country's budget.

Feeling that Morínigo was favouring the Colorados, the Feberistas resigned and made common cause with the Liberal Party and the Communist Party of Paraguay in the Paraguayan Civil War of 1947. Although large sections of the military defected to the rebels, Morínigo regained control of the country by the end of the year, with the assistance of Colorado Party grass-root militias.

In 1948, resigned and went into exile in Argentina following a coup d'état.

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