He was president of Paraguay at the age of 43, between November 25, 1902, and December 19, 1904. He could complete his period of government because the revolution in 1904. The vice-president was Manuel Dominguez, who also adhered to the revolution. The cabinet of Escurra was the youngest ever, because the member where only from 26 to 43 years old. They were:
Fulgencio R. Moreno,
Juan Bautista Gaona and
Emiliano González Navero in Treasury; Eduardo Fleitas and José Emilio Pérez in the Department of the Interior; Cayetano Carreras in the Justice and Culture Department; Antonio Cáceres,
Patricio Escobar,
Bernardino Caballero and
Benigno Ferreira in War and Navy;
Pedro Pablo Peña, Cayetano Carreras, Gualberto Cardús Huerta and
Cecilio Báez in the Foreign Office. During his government the prestigious school San José was founded, the national currency and budget stabilized. The currency had a respectable value during his government. The commerce grew noticeably, the firm Casal Ribeiro exported successfully tobacco and cotton to
Europe; Rius y Jorba exported leather and wool in great amounts. Arturo Rebaudi, according to decree of March 21, 1904, was as delegate to the 2nd Medical Congress, in
Buenos Aires; the first class of Medicine from the National University graduated;
San Antonio was declared a district, the Solar Artigas was donated to
Uruguay, the construction of a monument to the Heroes of Ytororó was authorized and the Argentine Code of Commerce was adopted. On December 29, 1903, Cecilio Báez was designated plenipotentiary in
Mexico and the
United States.
Juan O'Leary was inspector of the National Lottery. In 1902 Silvano Mosqueira quit to his position in the Municipality's secretary and was replaced by
Federico Chávez. In 1903 Tomás Matto left his position in the Police Headquarters, the Economic and Administrative Board of
Mbuyapey was created, having Ceferino Ayala as president and Carlos Pastore as vice-president. Fernando Vera was appointed calligraphic of the National Library in replacement of Alberto Correa and the government donated to
Uruguay the “Solar Artigas”. Among the events that are worth mentioning in education is the organization of the First National Congress of Teachers in February 1903 and the adoption of the “Franco Plan” in the National School on March 25, 1904. That same year the poet Narciso R. Colmán was appointed magistrate in the locality of
Caballero. In 1903 graduated from the Faculty of Medicine:
Andrés Barbero, Ricardo Odriozola, Manuel Urbieta and Eusebio Taboada, among others. In August 1904 there was an agitated military movement that settled in
Villeta and in October exploded as a revolution that ended in the overthrowing of Escurra's government, the
1904 Revolution, caused in part by bad economic performance during his term. With it, came the end of the republican government and the start of the Liberal era. After his destitution, Escurra retired from the politics, going back to a simple life away from the public scenery. He moved to
Villa Hayes, where he formed a family. ==A goodbye with honors==