Gabriel González Videla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gabriel González Videla
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| 24th President of Chile | |
| In office November 3, 1946 – November 3, 1952 |
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| Preceded by | Juan Antonio Iribarren |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Ibáñez del Campo |
| Senator of the Republic of Chile | |
| In office May 15, 1945 – November 3, 1946 |
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| Preceded by | Leonardo Guzmán Cortés |
| Succeeded by | Ángel Custodio Vásquez |
| Constituency | First Provincial Group (Tarapacá and Antofagasta) |
| Vice President of the Council of State | |
| In office January 9, 1976 – 1980 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | November 22, 1898 La Serena, Chile |
| Died | August 22, 1980 (aged 81) Santiago, Chile |
| Resting place | Municipal Cemetery of La Serena La Serena, Chile |
| Political party | Radical (until 1971) |
| Spouse |
Rosa Markmann Reijer
(m. 1926) |
| Children |
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| Parents | Gabriel González Castillo Teresa Videla Zepeda |
| Relatives | Coco Legrand (nephew) |
| Education | |
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| Signature |  |
Gabriel Enrique González Videla (born November 22, 1898 – died August 22, 1980) was an important Chilean politician and lawyer. He served as the 24th president of Chile from 1946 to 1952. Before becoming president, he was a member of the Chamber of Deputies and a senator.
González Videla was a long-time member and leader of the Radical Party. He left the party in 1971. Later, he served as vice president of the Council of State from 1976 until his death. In this role, he helped create Chile's 1980 constitution.
Contents
Early Life and Political Beginnings
González Videla was born in La Serena, a coastal city, on November 22, 1898. He was the oldest of eighteen children. His parents were Gabriel González Castillo and Teresa Videla Zepeda. After finishing high school, he studied law at the University of Chile. He graduated in 1922.
In 1915, González joined the youth group of the Radical Party. He later became a leader in the party in La Serena. He protested against the military government in 1924. In 1927, he spoke out against President Carlos Ibáñez and had to hide. When Ibáñez's government ended in 1931, González returned to politics. He was president of the Radical Party from 1931 to 1937.
González was elected as a deputy (a type of representative) in 1930. However, a coup in 1932 closed Congress. He was re-elected as a deputy in 1933 and 1937. In 1939, he became an ambassador for Chile. He served as ambassador to France, then Portugal, and finally Brazil.
Presidential Campaigns
In 1941, Chile's president, Pedro Aguirre Cerda, became very ill and died. A new presidential election was called for February 1942. Gabriel González Videla returned to Chile to run for president. He was a candidate for the Radical Party.
The election was very close. Another candidate, Juan Antonio Ríos, was chosen to represent a group of left-wing parties. This group included the Radical Party, the Socialist Party, and the Communist Party. Ríos won the election and became president.
In 1945, González Videla was elected as a senator. He also represented Chile at the United Nations conference in San Francisco.
In 1946, González Videla won the Radical Party's primary election. He tried to form a group of parties like in 1942, but the Socialist Party refused to join. In the end, González won the election with support from his Radical Party and the Communist Party. He received 40% of the votes. Since he did not get 50%, the election went to Congress. Congress confirmed him as president on October 24, 1946.
Presidency of Chile
When Gabriel González Videla first became president in 1946, his government included Communist ministers. However, the international Cold War and problems within Chile soon changed things. González Videla began to move away from his Communist allies.
The Communist Party wanted more positions in his government. González Videla refused. The Communist Party then stopped supporting him. In response, he removed them from his government. He then banned the Communist Party completely in 1948. This was done under a law called the Law of Permanent Defense of Democracy. This law banned communist and similar parties. He also ended relations with the Soviet Union and other countries in Eastern Europe.
Many important Communist figures, like the poet Pablo Neruda, left the country. Communists who stayed were arrested. A miners' strike in Lota was stopped by force. Protests against the new law led to martial law (military control), but they were also stopped.
In 1948, González Videla also found out about a plan by some military members to overthrow him. They wanted to make Carlos Ibáñez president. González Videla ordered an investigation and arrested the leaders of the plot. This plan was called the "Pig Trotters' Plot."
After banning the Communists, González Videla governed with the support of right-wing parties. These included the Conservatives and the Liberals. They liked his anti-communist actions. His new government included members from these parties, plus Radicals, some Socialists, and members of the Democratic Party. The Communist Party remained illegal until 1958.
There is still debate about why González Videla changed his mind about the Communists. Some say he needed to stop their plots against his government. Others say he acted under pressure from the United States. Historians know that the president wanted to please the United States. The U.S. government appreciated his actions. After this, the U.S. increased its loans and investments in Chile. The two countries also made a military agreement.
González Videla also turned against the Communist Party for other reasons. He wanted to calm down right-wing critics of his government. He also wanted to weaken the labor movement. This was a time of economic problems and rising prices. The Communist Party was encouraging strikes. González Videla's ban on Communists happened as he focused more on growing industries than on social reforms.
Economic ties with the United States grew stronger after World War II. U.S. investments in Chile increased a lot. By 1952, the United States had loaned Chile $342 million. This helped connect the two countries even more.
During González Videla's presidency, Chile's population grew. More people moved to cities. Production also increased. While some social reforms happened, like extending social security, big differences between rich and poor did not change much. Women were given the right to vote in 1949.
In the 1949 elections, parties supporting the government won. However, the unity between these parties did not last long. Radicals were unhappy with the economic policies. When government workers protested in 1950, the Radicals supported them. The right-wing parties then left González's government.
Without support from the Liberals and Conservatives, González lost his majority in Congress. He could not achieve much after that. However, he made important improvements for women's rights. His government had the first woman minister in Latin America, Adriana Olguín. He also appointed the first woman ambassador and created an office for women's issues.
During his time as president, he became the first leader of any country to visit Antarctica. The Chilean Gonzalez Videla Antarctic Base is named after him.
Later Life and Passing
After his term ended in 1952, González Videla did not run for president again. In 1964, he actively supported another anti-communist candidate. His influence in the Radical Party, which was becoming more left-leaning, decreased. In 1971, he left the party. He was upset because the party supported the socialist president Salvador Allende.
González Videla played an important role in opposing Allende. He supported the 1973 coup that removed Allende from power.
González served as vice president of the Council of State. This council helped create a new Constitution for Chile during the presidency of Augusto Pinochet. After his work there was finished, González fully retired from politics. He passed away from a heart attack on August 22, 1980, in Santiago.
Images for kids
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Signature of Gabriel González Videla
See also
In Spanish: Gabriel González Videla para niños
