| Hugo Banzer | |
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62nd President of Bolivia di
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| In office August 21, 1971 – July 21, 1978 |
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| Preceded by | Juan José Torres |
| Succeeded by | Juan Pereda |
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75th President of Bolivia
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| In office August 6, 1997 – August 7, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada |
| Succeeded by | Jorge Quiroga |
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| Born | May 10, 1926 Concepción, Santa Cruz |
| Died | May 5, 2002 (aged 75) Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz |
| Nationality | Bolivian |
| Political party | military, ADN |
| Spouse | Yolanda Prada de Banzer |
Hugo Banzer Suárez (May 10, 1926 – May 5, 2002) was a politician, military general, and President of Bolivia. The President of Bolivia is the head of state of Bolivia. According to the current constitution the president is elected by popular vote for a single non-renewable five year Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Juan José Torres González (1920— 2 June, 1976) was a Bolivian socialist politician and military leader Juan Pereda Asbún (1931 is a former military general and de facto president of Bolivia (1978 The President of Bolivia is the head of state of Bolivia. According to the current constitution the president is elected by popular vote for a single non-renewable five year Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada Sánchez Bustamante (born July 1, 1930, La Paz) familiarly known as "Goni" is a Bolivian politician Jorge Fernando "Tuto" Quiroga Ramírez (born May 5, 1960) was President of Bolivia from August 7, 2001 to Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Government and Administration According to current Constitution, the highest authority in the department lies with the prefect (prefecto similar to a governor but Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Santa Cruz de La Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital city of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia. Government and Administration According to current Constitution, the highest authority in the department lies with the prefect (prefecto similar to a governor but The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. A military dictatorship is a Form of government wherein the political power resides with the Military; it is similar but not identical to a Stratocracy, Nationalist Democratic Action (in Spanish: Acción Democrática Nacionalista) is a Right-wing party in Bolivia led by Jorge Quiroga Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The President of Bolivia is the head of state of Bolivia. According to the current constitution the president is elected by popular vote for a single non-renewable five year The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. He held the Bolivian presidency twice: from August 22, 1971 to July 21, 1978, as a military ruler; and then again from August 6, 1997 to August 7, 2001, as constitutional President. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.
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Military and ideological formation
Hugo Banzer was native to the rural lowlands of the department of Santa Cruz. He attended military schools in Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil and the United States, including the Armored Cavalry School at Fort Hood, Texas. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Fort Hood, named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, is a United States Army post located halfway between Austin and Waco Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. He took a Motor Officer Course as the School of the Americas. The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation ( WHISC or WHINSEC) formerly the School of the Americas ( SOA; Spanish: Was a descendant of German immigrant Georg Banzer Schewetering
Promoted to colonel, in 1961, and appointed three years later to head the Ministry of Education and Culture in the government of General René Barrientos, a personal friend, Banzer became increasingly involved in politics, siding with the right wing of the Bolivian Army. René Barrientos Ortuño ( May 30, 1919 – April 27, 1969) was a Bolivian politician who served as his country's vice-president in He was also appointed director of the Military Academy and the Coronel Gualberto Villarroel Military School. Gualberto Villarroel López ( December 15, 1908 - July 21, 1946) was the Head of state of Bolivia from December 20
Banzer as plotter, 1970-71
In 1970, when President Juan Jose Torres nationalized Gulf Oil properties and tin mines owned by U. S. interests and tried to establish more friendly realtions with Cuba and the Soviet Union, he was playing with fire. The coup to overthrow Torres, led by Hugo Banzer, had direct support from Washington. When Banzer's forces had a breakdown in radio communications, U. S. Air Force Major Robert Lundin placed the U. S. Air Force radio at their disposal. In early 1971, Banzer attempted to unseat the new president in yet another unsuccessful coup, this time with him as top leader. Upon failing, he fled to Argentina, but did not resign his ambitions to the presidency.
President Torres called an Asamblea del Pueblo, or People's Assembly, in which representatives of specific "proletarian" sectors of society were represented (miners, unionized teachers, students, peasants). The Assembly was imbued with all the powers of a working parliament, even though the right-wing opponents of the regime tended to call it a gathering of virtual soviets. Torres also allowed the legendary labor leader, Juan Lechín, to resume his post as head of the Central Obrera Boliviana/Bolivian Workers' Union (COB). Juan Lechín Oquendo (born May 18, 1914, died August 27, 2001) was a legendary labor-union leader and head of the Federation The Bolivian Workers' Center ( Spanish: Central Obrera Boliviana, COB is the chief trade union federation in Bolivia. These measures, and Torres' nationalization of Gulf Oil properties, angered his detractors even more, chief among whom was Banzer and his American supporters.
The Banzer dictatorship, 1971-78
On August 18, 1971, General Banzer, at long last, masterminded a successful military uprising that erupted in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, where he had many supporters. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Santa Cruz de La Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital city of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia. Eventually, the plotters gained control over the La Paz garrisons, although not without considerable bloodshed. Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative Capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of La Paz Department. The levels of United States and Brazilian support for the coup have been debated but it clear that support existed at some level for Banzer. In any case, Banzer emerged as the strong man of the new regime, and, on August 22, was given full power as president. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Interestingly, he received the political support of the center-right Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (MNR) of former president Víctor Paz Estenssoro and the conservative Falange Socialista Boliviana of Mario Gutiérrez, considered to be the two largest parties in the country. The Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario is a Bolivian Political party, perhaps the most important in the country during the 20th Ángel Víctor Paz Estenssoro ( October 2, 1907 - June 7, 2001) was a politician and former president of Bolivia. The Bolivian Socialist Falange ( Falange Socialista Boliviana) was a Bolivian party established in the year 1937. For the next seven years, and with the rank of Army General, Banzer ruled Bolivia as dictator.
Frustrated by the political divisions and protests that characterized the Torres and Ovando years, and, traditionally an enemy of dissent and freedom of speech, Banzer banned all the left-leaning parties, suspended the powerful Central Obrera Boliviana, and closed the nation's universities. The Bolivian Workers' Center ( Spanish: Central Obrera Boliviana, COB is the chief trade union federation in Bolivia. "Order" was now the paramount aim, and no means were spared to restore authority and stifle dissent. Buoyed by the initial legitimacy provided by Paz and Gutierrez's support, the dictator ruled with a measure of civilian support until 1974, when the main parties realized he did not intend to hold elections and was instead using them to perpetuate himself in power. At that point, Banzer dispensed with all pretenses and banned all political activity, exiled all major leaders (Paz Estenssoro included), and proceeded to rule henceforth solely with military support.
Human rights groups claim that during Banzer's 1971-78 tenure (known as the Banzerato) several thousand Bolivians sought asylum in foreign countries, 3,000 political opponents were arrested, 200 were killed, and many more were tortured. Many others simply disappeared [1]. Among the victims of the regime are Colonel Andrés Selich, Banzer's first Minister of the Interior and co-conspirator in the August 1971 coup. Selich was accused of plotting to overthrow Banzer and died of blows sustained while in custody. Two other generals with sufficient stature to potentially eclipse the dictator were murdered under suspicious circumstances while in exile: General Joanquin Zenteno Anaya and, more shockingly, former President Juan José Torres, both in 1976. Juan José Torres González (1920— 2 June, 1976) was a Bolivian socialist politician and military leader
Much of the stability achieved by the Banzerato was sustained by the constant flow of easy credit from abroad, which was often used on mammoth "white elephant" projects of dubious usefulness but which nonetheless impressed certain sectors of the population. The loans would soon raise Bolivia's external debt to record levels, but proved useful in the manipulation of political patronage. In 1975, Banzer restored diplomatic relations with Chile, broken since 1962, with an eye toward obtaining an access to the Pacific Ocean, denied to Bolivia since the loss of its maritime coast in the 19th century War of the Pacific. The War of the Pacific, sometimes called the Saltpeter War in reference to its original cause was fought between Chile and the joint forces of Bolivia The Chilean president, Augusto Pinochet, offered a narrow outlet just north of the port of Arica, on the border with Peru, on lands that had previously belonged to that country. Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November According to the terms of the treaty that handed that territory to Chile, Peru had to agree to any proposal of transferring that land to a third party. Peru refused to accept the Pinochet proposal and instead created its own counter-proposal, which declared Arica and its waters an area of joint-sovereignty between the three nations. Chile refused this proposal and talks with Bolivia ended. Diplomatic relations were once again frozen in 1978.
The democratic opening of 1978 and Banzer's toppling
Pressure from the Carter administration forced Banzer to institute a carefully regulated "democratic opening" in 1978. A restricted amnesty was declared, and the country prepared for democratic elections. Since the Bolivian constitution does not allow the election of a sitting president, the general designated a surrogate, officially-supported candidate, General Juan Pereda. Juan Pereda Asbún (1931 is a former military general and de facto president of Bolivia (1978 It was assumed that Pereda would be elected with government "help" at the polls, rule for four years, and then allow Banzer to return as constitutional president once he had time to polish up his image and transition to civilian politics. Apparently, Banzer had second thoughts, for by election time the left-wing coalition of former president Hernán Siles (UDP) was far and away the most popular formula, and nothing could disguise it. Hernán Siles Zuazo ( March 21, 1914, Bolivia &ndash August 6, 1996, Uruguay) was a politician from Bolivia Still, massive fraud was committed and Pereda was declared the winner - until protests paralyzed the country and independent organizations agreed that all exit polls indicated a result quite different from what was being purported. At this point, Banzer annulled the elections, denounced the electoral fraud, and disassociated himself from it altogether. He declared he would call elections again within a year or two.
He did not foresee the reaction of General Pereda, however, who felt used by Banzer to remain in power. A coup d'état ensued, many military officers having grown tired of the president's constant manipulation of the armed forces for his own political ends. After Banzer was forced to leave the Palacio Quemado in July 1978, Pereda was sworn in as president, although not a constitutional one, since the fraud could not be denied. The Palacio Quemado is a popular name to denote the Bolivian Palace of Government located on Plaza Murillo in downtown La Paz. He did blame Banzer, however, and stated non-comitally that he would call new elections within a reasonable span of time. Pereda, in turn, was overthrown in November of 1978 by democratically-oriented officers under General David Padilla who, embarrassed by the events of the last few months (and suspecting that Pereda did not intend to call new elections either), promptly set a firm date for a new vote. David Padilla Arancibia (born August 27, 1931) was a military general and former de facto president of Bolivia.
Banzer as civilian political leader
Upon leaving office, Banzer formed the ADN party (Acción Democrática Nacionalista), a large organization that attracted most conservative groups under his leadership. Nationalist Democratic Action (in Spanish: Acción Democrática Nacionalista) is a Right-wing party in Bolivia led by Jorge Quiroga Banzer ran for elections in 1979 and 1980, obtaining third place in both contests. The 1979 contest remained inconclusive because, no candidate having received the necessary 50% of the vote, Congress had to determine the president, and it could not agree on any one candidate; the 1980 election would have led to the possession of Hernán Siles, was it not for the bloody coup of July 17, 1980, which installed a reactionary (and cocaine-tainted) dictatorship led by general Luis García Meza. Hernán Siles Zuazo ( March 21, 1914, Bolivia &ndash August 6, 1996, Uruguay) was a politician from Bolivia Luis García Meza Tejada (b August 8, 1932, La Paz, Bolivia) is a former Bolivian dictator With the military's reputation badly damaged by the excesses of the 1980-82 dictatorship, in October 1982 the results of the 1980 elections were upheld to save the country the expense of yet another vote. Siles was sworn in and the 1980 Congress reconvened.
Banzer opposed bitterly the UDP government of Hernán Siles (1982-85), but turned more conciliatory when Víctor Paz Estenssoro was elected president (by congress, due to the virtual inattainability of the 50% necessary for direct election) in 1985. Hernán Siles Zuazo ( March 21, 1914, Bolivia &ndash August 6, 1996, Uruguay) was a politician from Bolivia Ángel Víctor Paz Estenssoro ( October 2, 1907 - June 7, 2001) was a politician and former president of Bolivia. Indeed, Banzer's party claimed authorship of some of the most important neoliberal economic reforms instituted by Víctor Paz to curb galloping hyperinflation, repress the ever-troublesome labor unions, and reduce the size of the government. Banzer finished second in the 1989 elections, but supported in Congress the third-place finisher, the allegedly left-leaning Jaime Paz, who became President with ADN help, in return for Paz's promise to support him in a future election. Jaime Paz Zamora (born in Cochabamba on April 15, 1939) was President of Bolivia from August 6, 1989 to August The former dictator again finished second in 1993, this time to the MNR's Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada. Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada Sánchez Bustamante (born July 1, 1930, La Paz) familiarly known as "Goni" is a Bolivian politician The MNRs plurality, in coalition with the small center-left Bolivia Libre party, made it possible to confirm the MNRs electoral victory. In the 1997 elections, however, Banzer finished first by a small plurality, and was able to take the presidency with the support of Paz and others in a broad rightist coalition.
Banzer as Constitutional President (1997-2001)
Finally, in 1997, Banzer achieved his dream of becoming constitutionally-elected President of Bolivia, at the age of 71. Indeed, he was the first former dictator in Latin America's recent history to transition successfully to democratic politics and return to power by way of the ballot box. During his tenure, he launched, under the guidelines outlined by the United States, a program to fight drug-trafficking in Bolivia, which called for the eradication of coca, a controversial strategy. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global Black market consisting of the cultivation manufacture distribution and sale of illegal Drugs Coca eradication is a controversial strategy strongly promoted by the United States government as part of its " War on Drugs " to eliminate the He also had the usual trouble with the unions, but nonetheless did his best to rule in a conciliatory and non-arbitrary manner. In 2001, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and even though he had earned a five-year term (he had himself agitated to legally enlarge the presidential term) had to resign on August 7, 2001. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. He was succeeded by his Vice-President, Jorge Quiroga. Jorge Fernando "Tuto" Quiroga Ramírez (born May 5, 1960) was President of Bolivia from August 7, 2001 to
Hugo Banzer was the president during the Water Wars in 2000 which centered around the privatization of the water works of Bolivia's third largest city Cochabamba. Many protested the subsequent rate hike. Violence occurred when police and demonstrators clashed. Banzer then declared a "state of siege". When officials of the consortium who had bought the right to run the water works fled after being told by the authorities that their safety could not be guaranteed, the Banzer government declared that they had abandoned the project, declared the contract void, and settled with the demonstrators.
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For more details on this topic, see Bolivian Water Wars of 2000. The Cochabamba protests of 2000, also known as "The Cochabamba Water Wars" were a series of protests that took place in Cochabamba, Bolivia 's third largest
Note: In accordance with the rules of Spanish orthography, Banzer should be spelled Bánzer. The orthography of a language specifies the correct way of using a specific Writing system to write the language But because Banzer is originally a German name, the a is not accented.
See also
Source
- Prado Salmón, Gral. The President of Bolivia is the head of state of Bolivia. According to the current constitution the president is elected by popular vote for a single non-renewable five year This is the History of Bolivia.See also the History of Latin America, the History of the Americas, and the History of present-day nations The politics of Bolivia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic Republic, whereby the president is Head of Gary. "Poder y Fuerzas Armadas, 1949-1982. "
External links
- Biography of Hugo Banzer at CIDOB (Spanish)
- On the crisis of dicember 1977 (video)
| Preceded by Juan José Torres |
President of Bolivia 1971-1978 |
Succeeded by Juan Pereda |
| Preceded by Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada |
President of Bolivia 1997-2001 |
Succeeded by Jorge Quiroga |
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