February 28, 2020

On March 1, 1870, 150 years ago this Sunday, Paraguay’s President Francisco Solano López was killed by Brazilian troops in the Cerro Corá valley of northeastern Paraguay. López’s death marked the end of the War of the Triple Alliance (also called the Paraguayan War), the bloodiest war in Latin American history. The conflict had begun in 1864 and pitted Paraguay against the nearby nations of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay—the “Triple Alliance.” Paraguay lost the war, its population was decimated, and much of the country was destroyed.

This is the last known photograph of Paraguayan President Francisco Solano López. He was killed 150 years ago this Sunday on March 1, 1870. credit: Public Domain

It is a grim anniversary, but the War of the Triple Alliance still calls forth nationalistic pride in many Paraguayans. The country is marking the sesquicentennial of the end of the war with concerts, book launches, and conferences in Asunción, the capital, as well as special commemorations in the capital and at López’s death site along the Aquidabán Niguí River.

In 1862, as the United States struggled through a bloody Civil War, Paraguay’s first president, Carlos Antonio López, died after 21 years in power. His son, Francisco Solano López, then took over as a president with dictatorial powers. Francisco believed that Argentina and Brazil wished to occupy Paraguay and Uruguay, so he signed a defense treaty with Uruguay. In 1864, Paraguay went to war against Brazil to defend Uruguay’s government. After Argentina refused to let Paraguayan troops cross its territory to attack Brazil, López declared war on Argentina as well. In 1865, Brazil helped a new government take hold in Uruguay, which joined with Argentina and Brazil to form the Triple Alliance against Paraguay.

Paraguay fought the nearby countries of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay (to the southeast, not on the map) in the War of the Triple Alliance (1864-1870). credit: World Book map; map data (c) MapQuest.com, Inc.

After initial Paraguayan victories, the turning point of the war came at the 1866 Battle of Tuyutí in southwestern Paraguay. In the bloodiest battle ever in South America, some 17,000 soldiers were killed at Tuyutí—most of them Paraguayan. A series of desperate battles followed as the Alliance armies gained the upper hand. By January 1869, Alliance troops had captured Asunción and controlled much of Paraguay, but López and a stalwart group of soldiers continued fighting a guerrilla campaign in the mountains. (Guerrilla warfare is conducted by roving bands of fighters who stage ambushes, sudden raids, and other small-scale attacks.) Brazilian troops eventually caught up with López and his remaining forces in the Cerro Corá valley, where the war ended with López’s death on the battlefield in 1870.

The war left Paraguay in ruins. Some historians estimate that the country lost about 60 percent of its prewar population, including nearly 90 percent of its men. In total, an estimated 400,000 people died in the conflict. Paraguay also lost a fourth of its territory. After the war, power struggles among rival political groups plagued the country. More than 30 presidents headed Paraguay’s government from 1870 to 1932.

December 11, 2019

Today, December 11, people celebrate National Tango Day (El Día del Tango) in Argentina, where the tango dance originated and is arguably the national pastime. (Others might say it is fútbol, or soccer.) Tango, which also has roots in neighboring Uruguay, was the first Latin American dance to gain great international popularity. The date for National Tango Day, December 11, marks the birthdays of the Argentine tango music legends Carlos Gardel (in 1890) and Julio de Caro (in 1899)

Tango is the national dance and music of Argentina. The couples shown here are dancing in a street in Buenos Aires. Credit: © Robert Frerck, Stone/Getty Images

National Tango Day includes dance spectaculars throughout Argentina and special performances by the 24-couple National Tango Team. Tango competitions and celebrations take over Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital and center of tango culture. The complexity and popularity of tango music and dance have influenced many other arts as well as every day life, emotion, and philosophy in Argentina.

The singer Carlos Gardel grew up in Buenos Aires and became one of the biggest tango stars in the world. Credit: Public Domain

The tango is a ballroom dance for a couple in slow 2/4 or 4/4 time. The dancers alternate long, slow steps with short, quick steps, sometimes making sudden turns and striking dramatic poses. The tango was first danced in the late 1800′s by people of the Río de la Plata region along the border of Argentina and Uruguay. The tango found firm footing in Buenos Aires before spreading to other parts of Latin America.

Tango was introduced in the United States about 1912 by Vernon and Irene Castle, a famous ballroom dancing team. The dance became popular and soon spread to Paris, London, and other parts of the world.  Today’s tango is related to an Argentine dance called the milonga, a Cuban dance called the habanera, and a tango from Spain’s Andalusian region.