José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia

Perpetual Dictator of Paraguay

6 January 1766 Yaguarón, Paraguay

20 September 1840(1840-09-20) (74) Asunción, Paraguay

12 June 1814 – 20 September 1840 (1814-06-12  – 1840-09-20 )

Paraguayan lawyer, politician and dictator (1766-1840) José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia y Velasco (Spanish pronunciation:  ) (6 January 1766 – 20 September 1840) was a Paraguayan lawyer and politician, and the first dictator (1814–1840) of Paraguay following its 1811 independence from the Spanish Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. His official title was "Supreme and Perpetual Dictator of Paraguay", but he was popularly known as El Supremo. He is considered to be the chief ideologue and political leader of the faction that advocated for the full independence of Paraguay from the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and from the Empire of Brazil.