Lino
Cesar Oviedo Silva
Lino Cesar Oviedo Silva, was the son of a Chaco war veteran. He was born on September 23, 1943 in the city of Mena, department of Cordillera. He studied and lived the first stages of his life in his hometown, when he was twelve he moved to Asuncion, the capital, and went to school at the Colegio Nacional de la Capital. He began his military career very early in his life, he went in the military school “Francisco Solano Lopez”, at the age of fourteen. His branch in the army was the cavalry. From the start in his military career as a Sub Teniente in 30 long years he got to the top as a General de Division. Lino Oviedo was very active and dynamic always on the move, always trying harder to get it better than the last time very ambitious, maybe too ambitious. He wen in missions to Chile y Perú, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, United States of America, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Holland , Italia, Denmark, Uk, Switzerland, Korea, China, Japan, Morocco, south Africa, and Israel. He also greatly collaborated in military in Paraguay outstanding in the commando course, physical education, military intelligence, among others. He also dedicated his time to his perfecting of the guarani language. In his young age he also dedicated himself to teaching of equitation. He also did an outstanding job in equitation earning many international recognitions for his work. In 1993 he was named commander of the army. This was great news of achievement for Lino Oviedo, but this also meant great responsibility. Among his many goals in this new powerful charge he had were “ re- conquering the chaco” by setting up army detachment in the vast inhabited desert. When between high mandates
of the Paraguayan army there began to plot against Stroessner, the
dictaror, Lino Oviedo was the one who went up to Stroessner and
with the words “Mi general usted esta bajo arresto.”
started the cue of 1989 that brought down the Tryrany and brought
back democracy. Lino Oviedo got his respect and fame in that one
act of bravery, there were few who dared speak to the dictator at
all, he arrested Stroessner. The hunger for power came after the
cue. The hungry vulture politicians were taking advantage of the
situation and exploiting the country with corruption and other illegal
acts. When the first democratically elected president was chosen,
Dr. Juan Carlos Wasmosy, Oviedo was still the people’s favorite
and Wasmosy was careful of this eminent danger to his position.
In public Wasmosy hugged and loved Oviedo but in reality it was
a foe hard to quench. Oviedo wanted his power, Wasmosy wanted his.
There is a hard debate as to what happened next. Oviedo was blamed
of a plotter against democracy for trying to start a cue during
Wasmosy’s mandate. The people still wanted there hero and
screamed for Oviedo. Oviedo defended himself assuring he was innocent
of the accusation. He was finally exiled to Brazil with order for
arrest if found in Paraguay. In the next elections 1998 Lino’s
Puppet, Cubas Grau was elected president. The people were still
clearly supportive of there hero. Not long in the First year of
mandate of Cubas the Vice president, Luis Maria Aragaña,
was killed. Again the blame fell on Oviedo and his followers. The
people were confused, again there was much debate that till this
day cannot be specified. Anyways that March Cubas Grau was borught
down and exiled to brazil for a short term. Lino Oviedo after years
of being in exile came back to Paraguay assumed his jail time and
till this day is a political prisoner in the military prison a viñas
cue, hoping to be free and someday rightfully assume the presidency
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