Raúl Cubas Grau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raúl Cubas Grau
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Cubas Grau in 1999
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| 45th President of Paraguay | |
| In office August 15, 1998 – March 29, 1999 |
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| Vice President | Luis María Argaña |
| Preceded by | Juan Carlos Wasmosy |
| Succeeded by | Luis Ángel González Macchi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 23, 1943 Asuncion, Paraguay |
| Political party | Colorado Party |
| Spouse | Mirtha Leonor Gusinky |
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Raúl Alberto Cubas Grau (born 23 August 1943) is a Paraguayan politician and an electrical engineer. He served as the 45th President of Paraguay from 1998 until he resigned in 1999. His time as president lasted only about seven months.
Cubas Grau was a member of the Colorado Party. He became president after a challenging election where he ran alongside Luis María Argaña, who became his Vice President.
In March 1999, big protests happened in Paraguay after Vice President Argaña passed away. These events became known as the "Marzo Paraguayo" (Paraguayan March). Because of these protests, Cubas Grau resigned from his position. The president of the Senate, Luis González Macchi, then took over as president.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Raúl Cubas Grau studied Engineering at the National University of Asunción. He became an electrical engineer.
Before becoming president, he was part of the Colorado Party. He also worked as the Minister of Finance for a short time in 1996 under President Juan Carlos Wasmosy.
Becoming President (1998)
In 1998, when the election campaign started, a general named Lino Oviedo chose Cubas Grau to be his running mate. However, before the election, Oviedo was not allowed to run for president. So, Cubas Grau took his place as the main candidate.
Cubas Grau won the election in May 1998 with more than half of the votes. His campaign used the slogan "Cubas in government, Oviedo in power." This was the only time since Paraguay became a democracy again that a presidential candidate won with a clear majority of votes.
Challenges During Presidency
Soon after Cubas Grau became president, there was a disagreement about General Oviedo. In August 1998, just three days after his inauguration, Cubas Grau reduced Oviedo's prison sentence. This meant Oviedo was released from jail. However, the Paraguayan Supreme Court later ordered Oviedo to go back to jail, but Cubas Grau did not follow this order.
In February 1999, the Chamber of Deputies (part of Paraguay's Congress) tried to charge Cubas Grau with misusing his power. They were very close to having enough votes to start a formal process to remove him from office.
The "Marzo Paraguayo" and Resignation
On March 23, 1999, Vice President Luis María Argaña passed away. This event led to huge protests across Paraguay. Thousands of people joined public demonstrations, with many workers going on strike. They demanded that Cubas Grau resign from his position.
These protests became very intense, and security forces were called in. Sadly, during these events, seven people lost their lives, and many others were hurt. This period of social unrest is remembered as the "Marzo Paraguayo" (Paraguayan March).
After these events, Cubas Grau lost almost all his support. The day after the protests, the Chamber of Deputies voted to remove him from office. Facing this strong opposition, Cubas Grau resigned on March 28, 1999. After his resignation, General Oviedo left Paraguay. Oviedo later returned to Paraguay in 2004 to face legal actions. He was released in 2007, and the cases against him were later closed.
Images for kids
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Cubas Grau with Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso in February 1999
See also
In Spanish: Raúl Cubas Grau para niños
