The Grandchildren of Solano López: Frontier and Nation in Paraguay, 1904–1936 by Bridget María Chesterton (review)
On October 22, 1931, thousands of students took to the streets of Asunción in protest of the Liberal regime of President José Guggiari, in particular for his failing to take action against the Bolivians on the Chaco frontier. Unsatisfied with the previous day’s events, students, workers, women, and children gathered in front of the National School the following morning and marched on the presidential palace, where they were met by marines guarding the building. When the protesters began harassing the marines, two trucks of police arrived. Then a gunshot went off and eight students were killed. The deaths of eight young people marked a major turning point in the national consciousness of Paraguay, bringing about a growing awareness of hostilities on the western frontier. Increased tensions led to open warfare and a formal declaration of war between Paraguay and Bolivia in 1932.