Hugo Banzer
62nd President of Bolivia di
In office August 21, 1971 – July 21, 1978
Preceded by	Juan José Torres
Succeeded by	Juan Pereda
75th President of Bolivia
In office August 6, 1997 – August 7, 2001
Preceded by	Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
Succeeded by	Jorge Quiroga
Born	May 10, 1926(1926-05-10) 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. 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. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 200 × 267 pixelsFull resolution (200 × 267 pixel, file size: 17 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This picture produced by the Bolivian government at their website on their presidents at http://www. ... The President of Bolivia is the head of state of Bolivia. ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Juan José Torres González (1921—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. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada y Sánchez Bustamante (born July 1, 1930), familiarly known as Goni, is a Bolivian politician, businessman, and former president. ... Jorge Fernando Tuto Quiroga Ramírez (born May 5, 1960) was President of Bolivia from August 7, 2001 to August 6, 2002. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: ¡Arriba cruceños, hagamos historia! (Stand up cruceños, lets make history!) Anthem: Bajo el cielo más puro de América Capital Santa Cruz de la Sierra Largest city Santa Cruz de la Siera Official languages Spanish, Guaraní Provinces 15 Area  - total  - % de Bolivia Place nº 1... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... This article is about the Bolivian city. ... Motto: ¡Arriba cruceños, hagamos historia! (Stand up cruceños, lets make history!) Anthem: Bajo el cielo más puro de América Capital Santa Cruz de la Sierra Largest city Santa Cruz de la Siera Official languages Spanish, Guaraní Provinces 15 Area  - total  - % de Bolivia Place nº 1... The Republic of Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America. ... ADN logo Nationalist Democratic Action (in Spanish: Acción Democrática Nacionalista) is a right-wing party in Bolivia led by Jorge Quiroga. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... The President of Bolivia is the head of state of Bolivia. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

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. He took a Motor Officer Course as the School of the Americas. Was a descendant of German immigrant Georg Banzer Schewetering Fort Hood, named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, is a U.S. Army post located halfway between Austin and Waco within the U.S. state of Texas. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC), formerly School of the Americas (SOA), is a US Army facility at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, USA. It is a training facility operated in the Spanish language especially for Latin American military personnel. ...

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. He was also appointed director of the Military Academy and the Coronel Gualberto Villarroel Military School. René Barrientos Ortuño (born on May 30, 1919; died on April 27, 1969) was a former Vice-President (1964) and President of Bolivia (1964-66 and 1966-69). ... Gualberto Villarroel López (b. ...

Banzer as plotter, 1970-71

In October 1970, he took part in a coup d'état that attempted to depose the then reformist military president, General Alfredo Ovando, but the rebellion did not hold and a countercoup was successfully staged by General Juan José Torres, the left-leaning commander of the Army. If anything, Torres was more radical than Ovando, and more popular. 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. Coup redirects here. ... Alfredo Ovando Candía (1918 - 1982) was a Bolivian dictator, general and political figure. ... Juan José Torres González (1921—1976) was a Bolivian socialist politician and military leader. ...

Meanwhile, Bolivia convulsed under the giddy chaos of the Torres regime. 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 opponents of the regime tended to call it a gathering of virtual soviets. Torres also allowed the legendary (and Trotskyist-oriented) labor leader, Juan Lechín, to resume his post as head of the Central Obrera Boliviana/Bolivian Workers' Union (COB) and to operate without a single restraint. These measures, and Torres' calls for a "socialist" Bolivia, angered his detractors even more, chief among whom was Banzer. Juan Lechín Oquendo Juan Lechín Oquendo (May 18, 1914 – August 27, 2001) was a legendary labor-union leader and head of the Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers (FSTMB) from 1944 to 1987 and the Bolivian Workers Union (COB) from 1952 to 1987. ... The Bolivian Workers Center (Spanish: Central Obrera Boliviana, COB) is the chief trade union federation in Bolivia. ...

President Hugo Banzer. The stamp is Scott no.1451

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 242 × 304 pixelsFull resolution (242 × 304 pixel, file size: 29 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Template:PD-stamps Paraguayan stamps are in the Public Domain. ...

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. Eventually, the plotters gained control over the La Paz garrisons, although not without considerable bloodshed. 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. 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. For the next seven years, and with the rank of Army General, Banzer ruled Bolivia as dictator. is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... This article is about the Bolivian city. ... Central La Paz La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of La Paz Department. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Politics of Bolivia Categories: Politics stubs | Bolivian political parties ... Ángel Víctor Paz Estenssoro (October 7, 1907 - June 7, 2001) was a politician from Bolivia. ... FSB symbol The Bolivian Socialist Falange (Spanish: Falange Socialista Boliviana) was a Bolivian party established in the year 1937. ...

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. "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. The Bolivian Workers Center (Spanish: Central Obrera Boliviana, COB) is the chief trade union federation in Bolivia. ...

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 Jose Torres Gonzales (1921— 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 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. 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. For the conflict between Japan and the Allied powers in Asia and the Pacific Ocean from 1937 to 1945, which included World War II campaigns, see Pacific War. ... Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte[1] (November 25, 1915 – December 10, 2006) was President of Chile from 1974 to 1990, and was the President of the military junta from 1973 to 1981. ...

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. 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. 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. Juan Pereda Asbún (1931) is a former military general and de facto president of Bolivia (1978). ... Hernán Siles Zuazo (1914-1996) was a politician from Bolivia. ...

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. 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. The Palacio Quemado is a popular name to denote the Bolivian Palace of Government, located on Plaza Murillo in downtown La Paz. ... David Padilla Arancibia (1927) 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. 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. 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. ADN logo Nationalist Democratic Action (in Spanish: Acción Democrática Nacionalista) is a right-wing party in Bolivia led by Jorge Quiroga. ... Hernán Siles Zuazo (1914-1996) was a politician from Bolivia. ... Luis García Meza Tejada (b. ...

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. 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. The former dictator again finished second in 1993, this time to the MNR's Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada. 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. Hernán Siles Zuazo (1914-1996) was a politician from Bolivia. ... Ángel Víctor Paz Estenssoro (October 7, 1907 - June 7, 2001) was a politician from Bolivia. ... Jaime Paz Zamora (April 15, 1939), was President of Bolivia from August 6, 1989 to August 6, 1993. ... Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada y Sánchez Bustamante (born July 1, 1930), familiarly known as Goni, is a Bolivian politician, businessman, and former president. ...

Banzer as Constitutional President (1997-2001)

Banzer and his Vice-President Quiroga.

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. 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. He was succeeded by his Vice-President, Jorge Quiroga. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 153 × 164 pixelsFull resolution (153 × 164 pixel, file size: 14 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This photo made by the Spanish language media organization at http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 153 × 164 pixelsFull resolution (153 × 164 pixel, file size: 14 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This photo made by the Spanish language media organization at http://www. ... Panamanian motor vessel Gatun during the largest cocaine bust in United States Coast Guard history (20 tons), off the coast of Panama. ... Coca eradication is a controversial strategy strongly promoted by the United States government as part of its War on Drugs to eliminate the cultivation of coca, a plant whose leaves are not only traditionally used by indigenous cultures but also, in modern society, in the manufacture of cocaine. ... Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Jorge Fernando Tuto Quiroga Ramírez (born May 5, 1960) was President of Bolivia from August 7, 2001 to August 6, 2002. ...

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.

For more details on this topic, see Bolivian Water Wars of 2000.

Note: In accordance with the rules of Spanish orthography, Banzer should be spelled Bánzer. But because Banzer is originally a German name, the a is not accented. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Cochabamba protests of 2000. ... The orthography of a language specifies the correct way of using a specific writing system to write the language. ...

See also

• List of presidents of Bolivia
• History of Bolivia
• Politics of Bolivia

The following table contains a list of the individuals who have served as president of Bolivia. ... This is the history of Bolivia. ... Politics of Bolivia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ...

Source

• Prado Salmón, Gral. Gary. "Poder y Fuerzas Armadas, 1949-1982."

External links

• Biography of Hugo Banzer at CIDOB (Spanish)
• On the crisis of dicember 1977 (video)

v • d • e Presidents of Bolivia Simón Bolívar · Antonio José de Sucre · José María Pérez de Urdininea · Pedro Blanco Soto · Andrés de Santa Cruz · Sebastián Ágreda · Mariano Enrique Calvo Cuellar · José Ballivián · Eusebio Guilarte Vera · José Miguel de Velasco Franco · Manuel Isidoro Belzu · Jorge Córdova · José María Linares · José María Achá · Mariano Melgarejo · Agustín Morales · Adolfo Ballivián · Tomás Frías Ametller · Hilarión Daza · Narciso Campero · Gregorio Pacheco · Aniceto Arce · Mariano Baptista · Severo Fernández · José Manuel Pando · Eliodoro Villazón · Ismael Montes · José Gutiérrez · Bautista Saavedra · Felipe S. Guzmán · Hernando Siles Reyes · Carlos Blanco Galindo · Daniel Salamanca Urey · José Luis Tejada Sorzano · David Toro · Germán Busch · Carlos Quintanilla · Enrique Peñaranda · Gualberto Villarroel · Néstor Guillén · Tomás Monje · Enrique Hertzog · Mamerto Urriolagoitia · Hugo Ballivián · René Barrientos · Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas · Alfredo Ovando Candía · Juan José Torres · Juan Pereda · David Padilla · Wálter Guevara · Alberto Natusch · Lidia Gueiler Tejada · Luis García Meza Tejada · Celso Torrelio · Guido Vildoso · Hernán Siles Zuazo · Víctor Paz Estenssoro · Jaime Paz Zamora · Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada · Hugo Banzer · Jorge Quiroga · Carlos Mesa · Eduardo Rodríguez · Evo Morales