The one-party state regime was characterized by severe human rights abuses, implacable anti-communism, harsh political repression and large-scale economic projects.
Under Minister of the Interior Edgar Ynsfrán, the Paraguayan government waged a ruthless campaign against leftist rebels in the country, and became an ally of the United States during the Cold War due to the regime's fervent anti-communism.
Montanaro was accused of excessive cruelty; the DIPC and DNAT intelligence services, the Macheteros and Garroteros militias spread fear and destruction in Paraguay for many years.
Abdo Benítez was the subject of jokes in Paraguay and had a reputation for being poorly educated and unfit for the job, but he nonetheless managed to remain in Stroessner's favor for the duration of his tenure.
[3] Individually and ideologically, the members of the Golden Four were not as indispensable as figures such as Edgar Ynsfrán or Juan Manuel Frutos Fleitas had been, but for most Paraguayans these ministers came to symbolize the structure of power within the regime, as well as its excesses, both in terms of violence and corruption.
In the second half of the 1980s, opposition sentiment began spreading within the Colorado party, as the deteriorating economic conditions and constant suppression of civil liberties had become intolerable for many.
This opposition movement grew in strength until the coup d'état of 2 and 3 February 1989, when Stroessner was deposed and replaced by his former confidant, Andrés Rodríguez Pedotti, with the support of the army.
Godoy was accused of financial manipulation with the fictitious construction of hospitals, Jacquet of embezzlement of budget funds, Abdo Benítez – of appropriation of land during the agrarian reform.
In a controversial interview released afterwards, Jacquet stated that while difficult decisions had to be taken in the Stroessner period, it had all been done for the common good, with the fruits of that work visible today.