This acquired knowledge he joined to evil propensities until he became a veritable monster of wickedness.

Vain, arrogant, reckless, absolutely devoid of scruple, swaggering in victory, dogged in defeat, ferociously cruel at all times, he murdered his brothers and his best friends; he executed, imprisoned, or banished any one whom he thought too influential; he tortured his mother and sisters; and, like the French Terrorists, he impaled his officers upon the unpleasant dilemma of winning victories or losing their lives.

Even members of the American legation suffered torment at his hands, and the minister himself barely escaped death.
Over his people, Lopez wielded a marvelous power, compounded of persuasive eloquence and brute force.

If the Paraguayans had obeyed their earlier masters blindly, they were dumb before this new despot and deaf to other than his word of command.

To them he was the "Great Father," who talked to them in their own tongue of Guarani, who was the personification of the nation, the greatest ruler in the world, the invincible champion who inspired them with a loathing and contempt for their enemies.