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 was born on August 23, 1943. He is a politician and an electrical engineer from Paraguay. 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 was a strong supporter of Lino Oviedo, a military general. Oviedo could not run for president himself because he was in prison. So, Cubas Grau ran instead and won the election in 1998. His running mate (the person who runs for Vice President with him) was Luis María Argaña.
In March 1999, big protests happened against Cubas' government. This was after Vice President Argaña was killed. These protests became known as the Marzo Paraguayo (Paraguayan March). Because of these events, Cubas Grau resigned from his position. The president of the Senate, Luis González Macchi, then became the new president.
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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 a member of the Colorado Party. He also worked as the Minister of Finance of Paraguay for a short time in 1996. He served under President Juan Carlos Wasmosy before he resigned from that role.
Becoming President (1998)
When the 1998 election campaign started, General Lino Oviedo chose Cubas as his running mate. However, a few months before the election, Oviedo was sent to prison. This was because of his part in a coup attempt in 1996. He was then not allowed to run for president.
Cubas took Oviedo's place on the election ballot. He won the election in May 1998 with 54% of the votes. His campaign slogan was "Cubas in government, Oviedo in power." This meant that even though Cubas would be president, Oviedo would still have influence. This was the first time since Paraguay became a democracy that a presidential candidate won more than half of the votes.
The Release of Lino Oviedo
In June 1998, the Paraguayan Congress passed a new law. This law said that the president could not pardon anyone who had not served at least half of their prison time. Many people thought this law was made to stop Cubas from releasing Oviedo early.
However, in August 1998, just three days after becoming president, Cubas reduced Oviedo's prison sentence. This meant Oviedo was set free. In December 1998, the Paraguayan Supreme Court ordered Cubas to send Oviedo back to jail. But Cubas refused to do so.
Challenges and Resignation (1999)
Because Cubas refused to follow the court's order, the Chamber of Deputies (part of the government) voted to accuse him of misusing his power. This happened in February 1999. The vote was very close to what was needed to officially remove him from office.
On March 23, 1999, Cubas' vice president, Luis María Argaña, was killed. Argaña had been chosen as Cubas' running mate to help the Colorado Party stay in power. But he was also leading a group within the party that was against Oviedo. Many believed Argaña's murder was linked to the dispute over Oviedo's release.
After Argaña's death, protests began. Thousands of people joined public demonstrations. They were led by workers who were on strike. They demanded that Cubas resign. Security forces were called in. The demonstrations became violent, and seven people were shot and killed. Dozens more were hurt. This sad event became known as the Marzo paraguayo ("Paraguayan March").
Cubas' support quickly disappeared. The day after the assassination, the Chamber of Deputies voted strongly to remove Cubas from office. Knowing that the Senate would surely find him guilty and remove him, Cubas resigned on March 28, 1999. Oviedo then fled to Brazil.
Kidnapping of Daughter
In October 2004, Raúl Cubas Grau's daughter, Cecilia Cubas, was kidnapped. This happened near her apartment in Asuncion. Paraguayan security forces searched for her. Cubas paid a large amount of money, US$800,000, as a ransom. Sadly, her body was found in the basement of a house outside Asunción in February 2005. She was 32 years old.
Images for kids
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Cubas with Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso in February 1999
See also
In Spanish: Raúl Cubas Grau para niños
