1954 Paraguayan coup d'état in the context of Federico Chávez

Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda (Spanish: [alˈfɾeðo esˈtɾosneɾ]; 3 November 1912 – 16 August 2006) was a Paraguayan politician, army general, and military dictator who ruled as the 42nd president of Paraguay from 15 August 1954 until his overthrow in 1989. Known there as El Stronato, his dictatorship was marked by political violence. Before his accession to the presidency, he was the country's de facto leader from May to August 1954.

Stroessner rose to power after leading the 1954 Paraguayan coup d'état on 4 May, with backing from the Colorado Party, the Paraguayan Army, and the United States. Following a brief provisional government under Tomás Romero Pereira, he was elected unopposed in the 1954 presidential election, as all opposition parties had been banned since 1947.

Tomás Romero Pereira (4 October 1886 – 12 August 1982) was a Paraguayan architect and politician who served as President of Paraguay from May to August of 1954. He was installed as president by Alfredo Stroessner after the coup of 4 May against President Federico Chaves. Romero Pereira quickly held elections, which fraudulently elected Stroessner president.

Presidential elections were held in Paraguay on 11 July 1954, following a military coup on 8 May 1954 which toppled Federico Chávez who had been re-elected the previous year. At the time, the Colorado Party was the only legally permitted party. Alfredo Stroessner, who had led the coup, ran as the Colorado candidate in a special election for the remainder of Chávez' term, and was elected unopposed.

This was the first of Stroessner's eight consecutive election victories.