Gonzalez Macchi

Luis Angel Gonzalez Macchi was born in Asunción, the 13 of December of 1947. He completed all of his elementary and high school in Asuncion. After his high school was over he went into law school in the Unversidad Nacional de Asuncion. In these years he practiced basketball professionally and even joined the Paraguayan national team. He got a scholarship to study in Spain, and continued his studies years after going to seminars in various European countries to learn about human resources and care. Macchi worked in various positions in the government throughout his life. His career started early after graduating and soon got a job since his father was the director of the Ministry of Justice. He was a sympathiser of Stroessner the dictator at the time. Unlike many he kept his friendship with Stroessner after the dictator was put into exile. He grew the most politically during the years that Wasmosy was president. He was the right hand of Luis Maria Argaña, the pro- Stroessner leader that was in charge of the ANR. This was a position of a lot of influence and quickly rose in the chain of command. In a Struggle for power after a collision with Argaña, Wasmosy, Oviedo, and Cubas; Macchi was chose head of the Senators. The tension began to rise when Cubas, Oviedo’s political partner, took Oviedo of jail the day after he took power. This untied a series of unfortunate events that killed the vice president Argaña, which was blamed on Oviedo, which was Cubas´s (the president) friend, they both fled the country, and Macchi (who was the next man up to the presidency) swore to power.

In his first press conference he assured that he would fight corruption, end the criminal life in politicians, and capture the fugitive, Oviedo, among other things. It was the first time during his government that the opposition had a place in the senate with important roles such as international relation, and the chamber of commerce. Macchi had the thorn in his foot that he could not get rid of, that thorn was Lino Oviedo. The popular ex- general was lurking around the border of Paraguay, changing spots between Argentina, and Brazil. It was said that he rode on a horse, and taunted Macchi through foe calls made to the press and commoners instigating a revolution against his illegitimate government. A second supposed try to overthrow the government was started and Macchi countered it having a temporal ¨exception¨ to the constitution in the time that they caught all the suspects, civil and militant, and put them in prison. Some argued that Macchi took the operation step too further and imprisoned even journalists who were not on his right side, saying that he silenced all that did not agree with him. In the operation there were also deputies, generals, and senators who suffered the same fate. His good times were ending as well as his popularity; there was unemployment, and discontent throughout the country. A manifestation was held in which he, and his family was booed publicly. His popularity rating did not exceed 10% and the corruption during his regime was out of control. It was all down hill for him from there, he was caught in a scandal were 16 million dollars were moved from an account in Paraguay to an account in New York. In the case almost all the people involved were related to him in some way: Brother, Sister, Father, Wife, Ex husband of the wife, a real soup opera! More disagreements and manifestations broke out. His plan to boost the economy completely collapsed since his main income to do so was to sell state owned businesses such as Antelco (telephone company) and Corposana ( water company), and the plan to sell state owned businesses was cancelled by the senate. His presidency came to an end with a pathetic .8 growth of the economy, unemployment, and uncertainty; he passed the power to the elected president Nicanor. Now judged and sentenced guilty by the court, although he appealed, Macchi might be spending 6 years in prison.