Pilar, Paraguay Pilar, Paraguay Pilar () is the capital city of the Paraguayan department of Ñeembucú, located along the Paraguay River in the southwestern part of the country. Located about from Asunción, Pilar serves as an important center of commerce and government for the far southwestern region of the country. Pilar was founded by Pedro Melo de Portugal on October 12, 1779. The original name of the settlement was "Villa del Ñeembucú", named for the nearby Arroyo Ñeembucú that flows into the Paraguay River. Four years later it was renamed "Villa del Pilar" by Spanish priest Marcial Antonio Uliambre, for the Basilica
Paraguay–Spain relations part of the International Brigades for the Republican faction and they fought in the Battle of the Ebro. Paraguay maintained diplomatic relations throughout General Francisco Franco’s administration. Relations between Paraguay and Spain strengthened under the Presidency of Alfredo Stroessner. In July 1973, President Stroessner paid an official visit to Spain and met with General Franco. In October 1990, Spanish King Juan Carlos I paid his first official visit to Paraguay. The King would visit Paraguay again in 2006 and once more in 2011 to attend the Ibero-American Summit being held in the Paraguayan capital. In June 2015, Paraguayan President Horacio