BRAZIL: Brazilians in Paraguay - A Brazilian Viewpoint
In the middle of the XIX Century, Paraguay invaded simultaneously Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil
and, as expected, lost. At the end of the war, Paraguayan women outnumbered men, 9 to 1. At that
time, Brazil started then the Colorado party in Paraguay and exerted automatically strong influence
in Paraguayan politics. I believe that Alfredo Stroessner, who ruled Paraguay for a long time
(1954--89) was born in Curitiba, the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná. [Officially, he was born
in Encarnación, Paraguay, on November 3, 1912. RH].
Brazilian "infiltration" of Paraguay was the result of progressive southward migration of coffee
farmers who used to abandon old plantation, moving to new virgin lands. But Paraná was too far
south and subject to frost. Migration then veered eastward into Paraguay.
Foreign languages (Spanish and Portuguese) are traditional in Guarani speaking Paraguay.Although
I understand the feelings of Paraguayans, I see no sinister Brazilian plan in what is going on there.
Of course there is a complicated interaction between these two countries. As a final historical note,
let me point out that the first European to contact the Incas---the Portuguese Aleixo Garcia---started
off from southern Brazil and, returning from Potosi with a lot of loot, was murdered in Paraguay".
My comment: The Guaraní once occupied all southern Brazil as well as Paraguay, and there are a
few reservations of them as far south as Rio Grande do Sul. Some rural areas of southern Brazil are
actually losing population as people move into the cities, partly because the land is owned by large
estates. The landless peasants (sem terra) are a serious problem in many areas of Brazil. Some have
moved into Paraguay.
Ronald Hilton - 6/17/01
Aldo da Rosa writes: "As a Brazilian, I feel more comfortable with a strong and independent
Paraguay (a good customer for our goods) than one who is slowly being Brazilianized. Brazil has an
old history of expansionism, beginning in the XVI and XVII centuries. Brazil was discovered by the
Spaniard Vicente Pinzon, a couple of months before Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed the territory for
Portugal. Spain, however, did not hold on to its discovery. In more recent times rumors have it that
Brazil declined petitions from Bolivians (in Santa Cruz and Beni) and French (in Guyana) to join the
Brazilian Union.
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