Eligio Ayala

José Eligio Ayala
31st President of Paraguay
In office 12 April 1923 – 17 March 1924
Vice President	Manuel Burgos
Preceded by	Eusebio Ayala
Succeeded by	Luis Alberto Riart
Personal details
Born	(1879-12-04)December 4, 1879 Mbuyapey
Died	Asunción
Nationality	Paraguayan
Political party	Liberal

José Eligio Ayala (December 4, 1879 – October 25, 1930) was President of Paraguay from 12 April 1923 to 17 March 1924 and again from 15 August 1924 until 15 August 1928. He was a member of the Liberal Party.

Jose Eligio Ayala was born in Mbuyapey in the department of Paraguarí on 4 December 1879, son of Spanish Mariano Sisa and Paraguayan Manuela de Jesus Ayala. He was twin brother of Emilio de Jesus Ayala and brother of Eliseo’s father, Juan Pablo, Juan Bautista and Manuel Sisa. He was the father of the son of Rosaura Abelardo Gonzalez and daughter Anastasia Candelaria Duplán.

His Life

The Ayala family owned a farm with some dairy, a pair of horses, hens, and pigs, and also had a small ranch where he grew some vegetables.

His primary studies were conducted in his hometown and continued in Paraguarí. In 1897 he joined the National College of Encarnación, where his uncle Jose del Rosario Ayala, director of that institution, financed his studies, as the Ayala family had limited economic resources. Culminating the third year, he moved to Asuncion to enter the National College Asuncion, where he finished high school, helped by a grant from the government.

By completing the baccalaureate, he obtained a position as classifier of official documents in the National Archives and joined the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, where he was president of the Students’ Council of this house of studies in 1903. He earned his doctorate degree in law and Social Science 22 December 1905. As he was studying, he was a professor of mathematics and story in secondary schools.

In 1911 he left from the port of Buenos Aires (his place of exile) to Europe to continue his studies philosophy economics aesthetics And philosophy law at the University of Heidelberg, Germany and Zurich Switzerland. Being in Berlin wrote his book "Agricultural Evolution in England" and "The Paraguay seen from Europe." At the end of March 1920, after visiting Spain, Portugal and then spent more time ashore in Argentina, returned to Paraguay.

His Government

Following the resignation of provisional president Eusebio Ayala, in the lawless years of the first half of the '20s, Eligio Ayala, who was appointed by Congress, assumed the provisional presidency of the Republic in April, 1923 initiating the pacification of the country after the revolution in 1921/22 and cleansing of public finances. On 3 February 1924, the Convention appointed him as Liberal candidate for the presidency of the Republic and to accompany him as vice president, he appointed Manuel Burgos, that would be the pair for elections that year.

On March 17, 1924, Ayala resigned from the provisional chairmanship noting: "I am grateful to V. Honorably the confidence to play a position of such serious responsibilities. I declare before V. Honorably that I have done so as not to defraud, in the midst of many and powerful contrarieties. “As a new Congress president he appointed doctor Luis. A. Riart.

Eligio Ayala was a candidate in presidential elections, and as he did not have adversaries in the election, he assumed ownership of the government of the Republic of Paraguay, on August 15, 1924.

During his second government, the country experienced the best increase of work, production, export and a substantial improvement in the economic and financial situation in the history of the country. They approved an agreement with the bondholders of loans from 1871–72,the autonomy to the National University was given; the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics was created; treaties were signed Diaz-Leon Gutierrez, with Bolivia, and Ibarra-Mangabeira, with Brazil, supplementary to the treaty of 1872. The archdiocese of the Asuncion was created. They settled in Sajonia the Dockyards War and Navy; created the School of Aspiring Reserve Officers; created a School of Agriculture, and before the impending conflict in Chaco the gunboats "Humaitá" and "Paraguay" were acquired, armaments, etc.. When assuming his successor, José P. Guggiari, 1928, Eligio Ayala resumed the Ministry of Finance. He was also author of some 14 books on various topics.

Works during his government

• He adopted a Law on Establishment, Development and Conservation of small agricultural property.
• He enacted a law on Accidents at work, in addition to other related to Pensions and Retirement.
• Between 1924 and 1926 a considerable number of machines as plows, tractors, cultivators, seeders, etc. were brought.
• The financial representative in London signed an agreement with bondholders on borrowings made by Paraguay from 1871.

Political Biography

One of his charges was the first judge in the Civil administration of justice. Previously he had served as prosecutor of crime and 1907 began his political career to run for deputy, and was elected the following year. He became member of the Nation by the Liberal Party in 1908. He was elected president of the Chamber of Deputies on April 22, 1910. But some political events took him to self exile to Argentina.

His controversial death

Eligio Ayala died in an incident that involved Miss Hilda Diez (his maid and lover) and Mr Tomas Bareiro. There are several versions of what really happened and according to the criminal case that was processed before the Criminal Court, the sole eyewitness was Miss Hilda, which fell in several contradictions in his statement.

This is what happened, according to the story at 20:30 on Thursday, October 23, 1930:

The minister Ayala went to Hilda Diez’s house, who lived in the small house that he had given her in Manuel Dominguez and Samuhú but (today Juan de Salazar and Boqueron). Ayala knocked on the door, Hilda delayed in opening for some reason and after the insistence of Ayala, the door was semi opened, when he was admitted inside the house, he saw Mr Tomas Bareiro rapidly hiding behind a closet. Bareiro began firing with a revolver Smith Wesson, 38 caliber, injuring Ayala in the arm, ear and the third bullet was embedded in the womb. Ayala, already on the floor and bled, drew his Colt pistol, 38 caliber, and fired four shots, wounding also Bareiro. Him,with his body covered with blood, wanted to flee in the backyard of the house, but was unable to do so, dying in the attempt. Ayala, who also struggled to save, got up very badly injured and walked two blocks to the Belvedere, took a taxi asking the driver to take him to the Hospital Masi Escobar.

"I'm waging terrible hours," was one of the last phrases Ayala. In delusion, while his condition was aggravated by the bleeding.

He agonized for several hours in the hospital, being accompanied by president Guggiari. Eligio Ayala died at 14:15, October 24, 1930.

References

• Biographical Dictionary "forgers OF PARAGUAY," First Edicción January 2000. Distributed editions of Quevedo. Buenos Aires, Argentina.

External links

• Presidency of the Republic of Paraguay

Political offices
Preceded by Eusebio Ayala	President of Paraguay 1923–1924	Succeeded by Luis Alberto Riart
Preceded by Luis Alberto Riart	President of Paraguay 1924–1928	Succeeded by José Patricio Guggiari