Emilio Álvarez Montalván facts for kids

Emilio Álvarez Montalván

Emilio Álvarez Montalván was an important person from Nicaragua. He was born on July 31, 1919, and passed away on July 2, 2014. He was a skilled eye doctor, also known as an ophthalmologist. He also served as the Foreign Minister for his country, the Republic of Nicaragua. This means he was the top diplomat who handled Nicaragua's relationships with other countries.

Life and Education

Emilio Álvarez Montalván was born in Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. He studied medicine at the University of Chile, School of Medicine and earned his medical degree in 1946. He graduated with high honors.

He then chose to specialize in eye care. He studied ophthalmology in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1949. He continued his advanced studies in Paris, France, and in London, England. His last special training was at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in New York City, USA.

Public Service and Writing

Dr. Álvarez was also very active in Nicaraguan politics. He was also a respected writer known around the world. In 1954 and 1955, he was held in prison for one year. This happened during the time when Anastasio Somoza García was the leader of the country.

Later, in 1996, when he was 77 years old, he was chosen to be the Foreign Minister of Nicaragua. This was a very important job.

Even after he stopped working as a doctor and left his government job, Dr. Álvarez continued to share his ideas. He wrote articles and gave talks about politics. He especially focused on how politics worked in his country. For his important research and ideas, he received special honorary doctorates in 2006 and 2007.

Family Life

Emilio Alvarez was married to Carmen Guerra. They had six children together.

Career Highlights

Emilio Álvarez Montalván had a long and varied career. Here are some of his key roles:

• He was a Doctor of Ophthalmology, specializing in eye care.
• He started the Clínica Oftalmológica del Hospital Bautista for people in need in Managua, Nicaragua (1949).
• He was the Chief of Ophthalmology services at the "Hospital el Retiro" in Managua (1950).
• He founded and directed the Centro de Oftalmología, Clinica y Eye Hospital in Managua.
• He was the editor of Medica magazine in Managua (1958).
• He founded and was the first President of Ética y Transparencia, a group promoting good values.
• He was the President of Juventud Conservadora, a youth group.
• He served as the National Vice-president of the Conservative Party of Nicaragua (1967).
• He directed the Escuela de Formación Política in Managua (1968).
• He was a member of the editorial board for the newspaper La Prensa in Managua (1968–1983).
• He started writing a regular column for "La Prensa" in 1976.
• He was a consultant for the Conservative Party of Nicaragua (1981).
• He was considered a possible candidate for President of the Republic for the Conservative Party (1990).
• He was a special helper for President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro. He helped her talk with a group called the "Army of the Resistance" (1991).
• He founded and was President of Grupo Fundemos (1990).
• He wrote columns for La Tribuna newspaper in Managua (1994).
• He became a distinguished member of the Academy of Nicaragua for the Spanish Language (1996).
• He was the President of the Academy of History and Geography (1997).
• He was named the Perpetual Honorary President of the Conservative Party of Nicaragua.
• He was a consultant for Grupo Fundemos in July 2014.
• He was the President of the Fundación Cultural Nicaragua China in July 2014.
• He served as the Foreign Minister of Nicaragua from 1997 to 1998.

Awards and Recognition

Emilio Álvarez Montalván received many awards for his work and contributions:

• He received the Gold Medal from the Sociedad Nicaragüense de Oftalmología in Nicaragua.
• He was awarded the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins from Chile (1984).
• He received an Academic Award from France (1985).
• He was given the Cruz del Sur from Brazil (1997).
• He received the Grand Cross of the Order of José Dolores Estrada in Managua, Nicaragua (1998).
• He earned the San Martinianas Award from the "Instituto San Martin" in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1998).
• He received the Order of the Sacred Treasure (1st class, Grand Cordon) from Emperor Akito of Japan (2003).
• He was given an Honorary D.Sc. from Thomas More College (2006).
• He received an Honorary D.Sc. from Ave Maria College of the Americas (2007).
• He became an Honorary Member of the Instituto de Estudios para la Gobernabilidad y Democracia (2008).

See also

In Spanish: Emilio Álvarez Montalván para niños