Juan Bautista Gill García (Juan Bautista Gill Garcia del Barrio) (October 28, 1840 – April 12, 1877) was President of Paraguay from November 25, 1874 to April 12, 1877 and the only Paraguayan President to be assassinated while in office. Personal life He was born in Asunción into a prominent family of Juan Andres Gill and Escolástica Garcia del Barrio y Bedoya. He was grandson of Don Juan Miguel Gill, one of the founding fathers of Paraguayan Independence and a member of the Cabildo, who had Celtic blood. He was married to Maria Concepcion Diaz de Bedoya. His paternal ancestor, John Thomas [El inglés] McGill (Tomas McGill) was born in Ireland and migrated to Latin America with his brother. The family shortened the surname to Gill when dictator José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia decreed that prefixes in foreign names should not be used anymore In 1854 he traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina where he pursued secondary education and medical training, which he did not complete. He returned to Paraguay in 1863. When the Paraguayan War was declared against Argentina, he enlisted in the 40th battalion, which comprised young men of high social position. Because of his knowledge of medicine, he was appointed to the military health division and served as medical orderly. Gill was captured in the last days of December 1868 after the Battle of Lomas Valentinas. In mid-January 1869 Gill was among those who returned to Asunción, where the Allies freed him and others on condition that they would not join the army again. Political career On January 25, 1869 Gill participated in a meeting convened by Don Serapio Machain to petition Allied occupational forces for establishment of a provisional government. Among those who attended that meeting were José Segundo Decoud, Cayo Miltos, Carlos Loizaga, Juan Antonio Jara and Salvador Jovellanos, all of whom would soon assume high governmental posts. Gill was supporter of Brazilian interests and counted on their military support during the political struggles. As such, he was in favor of signing Loizaga – Cotegipe Treaty with Brazil. He was Minister of Finance of Paraguay from 1870 to 1871, and President of the Senate in 1872. Gill was accused of misusing funds, and dismissed by the Senate in March 1872. In response Cirilo Antonio Rivarola dissolved the Congress but instead was himself forced to resign. The removal of Rivarola was organized by Gill in cooperation with