war, Franco participated in the Victory Parade as commander of the Second Corps, where the Asunción crowd received him in the streets with acclamation. In 1933, he was promoted to the rank of colonel; on his initiative, Fort Mariscal López and Fort Falcón were built. Later, he took the leadership of Infantry Regiment No. 5 under General Diaz, with its seat in Bahía Negra. He suffered a leg injury due to an accident in his last years at the Military College, when he fell from a horse in the basement of the Cabildo. His troops called him by the affectionate nickname of "Leon Carê." Political career Franco was a founder and historic leader of Revolutionary Febrerista Party, a full member of the Socialist International. He had come to occupy the command of the Second Corps and conquer Laura important for the Army in defining campaign in part of the Chaco war as Picuiba, Yrendagué and took Carandayty, Charagua and Ingavi. Presidency Franco was critical of President Eusebio Ayala during the aftermath of the Chaco War. When Ayala exiled Franco to Argentina, Franco's sympathizers toppled Ayala's government, and Colonel Franco returned to Paraguay as interim president. He would serve from February 17, 1936, to August 13, 1937. Social policy The Franco government introduced a number of labor reforms. It set the work day at 8 hours per day, made Sunday a mandatory day off, introduced the requirement that wage earners receive holidays, and limited the work week to 48 hours (35 hours for unhealthful workplaces). Wages were required to be paid in cash, rather than in vouchers or 'white money'. Other measures recognized workers' right to unionize and strike, as well as the rights of women workers. The government carried out Paraguay's first agrarian reform (5 May 1936), distributing over 200,000 ha of land to 10,000 peasant families, and introduced a one-year freeze on the prices of rents and leases. Certain measures increased the state's involvement in the economy. On 24 February 1936, the government created the Central Bank of the Republic of Paraguay, which took over the role of the Stock Exchange and also became the sole conduit for foreign trade. Rafael Franco proposed that the state should be involved in any oil exploration. His government also set a base price for certain key commodities such as cotton. In addition, the state merchant fleet was reorganized. The Franco government provided