I will never forget Lino Oviedo, a character I came across during my travels in Paraguay in 1999. I was there at about the time of an attempted coup, during which a tank rolled into Asuncion's main square and took a pot shot at the legislature (see photo). Lino was thought to have been behind it.
He was an unforgettable character. Small and fiery, Lino originally rose to prominence as an cavalry colonel (hence his nickname) who'd played a big part in the coup which overthrew Gen Alfredo Stroessner in 1989. After that, he rose quickly through military ranks, becoming army chief in 1993. He was always up to something, very often dealing in arms (and perhaps even narcotics). By the time of his death he'd amassed a fortune of many millions of dollars. Seen as a populist, he often switched between Spanish and Guarani during his speeches.
However, he soon fell out with the president (Wasmosy), and plotted the coup above. It failed, and Lino was also implicated in the assassination of Vice-President Luis Maria Argana in 1999. At that point he fled to Brazil.
There, he was finally tracked down by the Brazilian police, who arrested him after listening to 90 hours of telephone rambling. Lino was found in possession of several guns and a lady's wig. In 2004, he was returned to Paraguay, where he was convicted - and later cleared. He stood for presidency in the 2008 election, which he lost.
He died last Saturday in a helicopter crash just north of Asuncion, at the age of 69. He leaves a string of children by various women.
