Hilario Marcó

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Hilario Marcó (1827 – October 1869) was a Paraguayan colonel during the Paraguayan War. He is known for leading troops at the Battle of Tuyutí and for commanding the firing squad in the 1868 San Fernando massacre, which targeted people accused of opposing President Francisco Solano López.

Marcó began his career at the government newspaper Imprenta del Estado in 1845. In 1850 he joined the Paraguayan Army as an ensign with Battalion No. 1 in Paso de Patria. By October 1858 he was the police commander in Asunción.

When the war began, he was a lieutenant colonel and fought in many battles, especially Tuyutí on May 24, 1866, where he led about 4,300 soldiers who attacked the center of the allied camp. He lost his left hand in that battle and was awarded the National Order of Merit.

Later he commanded the firing squad at the 1868 San Fernando massacre. He was accused of conspiring with Venancio López to overthrow Solano López, along with 16 other officers, and was executed by firing squad in October 1869 after weeks of torture.