Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
Sánchez de Lozada in 2003
61st President of Bolivia
In office 6 August 2002 – 17 October 2003
Vice President	Carlos Mesa
Preceded by	Jorge Quiroga
Succeeded by	Carlos Mesa
In office 6 August 1993 – 6 August 1997
Vice President	Víctor Hugo Cárdenas
Preceded by	Jaime Paz Zamora
Succeeded by	Hugo Banzer
Minister of Planning and Coordination
In office 22 January 1986 – 20 September 1988
President	Víctor Paz Estenssoro
Preceded by	Guillermo Bedregal Gutiérrez
Succeeded by	Fernando Romero Moreno
Personal details
Born	Gonzalo Daniel Sánchez de Lozada Sánchez Bustamante (1930-07-01) 1 July 1930 (age 95) La Paz, Bolivia
Nationality	Bolivian, American
Political party	Revolutionary Nationalist Movement
Spouse	Ximena Iturralde
Parents	Enrique Sánchez de Lozada Carmen Sánchez Bustamante
Relatives	Daniel Sánchez Bustamante (grandfather)
Alma mater	University of Chicago (A.B.)
Awards	Order of the Condor of the Andes
Signature

Gonzalo Daniel Sánchez de Lozada Sánchez Bustamante (born 1 July 1930), often called Goni, is a Bolivian-American businessman and politician. He served as the 61st president of Bolivia two times. His first term was from 1993 to 1997, and his second was from 2002 to 2003. He was a member of the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR) political party.

Before becoming president, he was the Minister of Planning and Coordination. In this role, he used a special economic plan in 1985 to quickly lower Bolivia's very high inflation, which was around 25,000%. During his first time as president, he started many important changes in society, the economy, and the country's laws. His second term faced big protests and events in October 2003, known as the Bolivian gas conflict. Many people died during these events. Because of the violence, Sánchez de Lozada resigned and moved to the United States.

Early Life and Career

Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada's family has a history in Bolivian politics. His grandfather, Daniel Sánchez Bustamante, was a Minister of Foreign Affairs. His great-great-grandfather, Mariano Calvo, was also a President of Bolivia.

Gonzalo's father was a professor and diplomat, and the family lived in the United States for some time. Gonzalo grew up in Iowa and studied literature and philosophy at the University of Chicago. Because of this, he speaks Spanish with an American accent.

In 1951, when he was 21, he returned to Bolivia. This was just before the 1952 revolution, which changed Bolivia from a country ruled by a few powerful families to a democracy. After returning, he worked in filmmaking and even filmed parts of the 1952 revolution. He later started his own film company.

In 1957, Sánchez de Lozada began working in the resource business. He founded a mining company called COMSUR in 1966, which became one of the most successful mining companies in Bolivia.

Bolivia was ruled by military leaders for almost 20 years. When democracy returned, Sánchez de Lozada was elected to Congress in 1979 and 1980. In 1985, he became a senator and then the President of the Senate. Soon after, President Víctor Paz Estenssoro made him the Planning Minister. As minister, he helped change Bolivia's economy, moving it away from state control. He is well-known for greatly reducing the country's very high inflation.

In 1989, Sánchez de Lozada ran for president as the MNR candidate. He won the most votes, but not enough to win outright. Another candidate, Jaime Paz Zamora, became president after a vote in Congress.

First Time as President (1993–1997)

In 1993, Sánchez de Lozada ran for president again. This time, he teamed up with an indigenous party, and their leader, Víctor Hugo Cárdenas, became his vice-president candidate. This was a big moment, as Cárdenas became the first elected indigenous vice president in South America. Their team won the most votes, and Congress confirmed Sánchez de Lozada as president.

During his first presidency, from 1993 to 1997, his government made many important changes:

• New Constitution: Bolivia's constitution was rewritten to say that Bolivia is a country with many different ethnic groups and cultures. It also protected the rights of indigenous people.
• Local Government: A law called the Popular Participation Act gave more power to local governments (municipalities). This meant local communities could make more decisions about their areas and how money was spent.
• Education and Health: Reforms were made in education, including teaching in local indigenous languages. There were also programs for mothers and young children, and a yearly payment for older people.
• Capitalization Program: This program aimed to bring private companies into state-owned businesses. The idea was that private money would be invested directly into these companies to help them grow. This included companies for oil, phones, electricity, airlines, and trains. The money earned from these new companies was meant to help fund social programs and benefits for the Bolivian people.

The capitalization program was debated. Some people thought it was good because it brought in needed money and helped develop important industries. Others worried that it sold off important national assets to foreign companies and led to higher prices for people. For example, the sale of the national oil company and electricity companies led to concerns about lost profits and increased costs. The privatization of water, which started under his government, later led to the Cochabamba Water War.

Second Time as President (2002–2003)

In 2002, Sánchez de Lozada ran for president again. He chose Carlos Mesa, a historian and journalist, as his running mate. He won the election after forming a coalition with other parties.

When he took office for his second term, Bolivia was facing economic problems. The country's economic growth was very low, and there was a large government debt.

The Gas War and Resignation

From late 2002, protests began to grow in Bolivia. Different groups, including coca growers, urban workers, miners, and indigenous farmers, joined together to protest against the government. Roads were blocked, and cities were stopped. Some protests were about long-standing issues, while others were about local government decisions. In February 2003, a conflict between police and army units in La Paz led to violence and deaths.

The economic problems made many people support the protests. People protested against the government's plans for natural gas. They wanted Bolivia's natural gas resources to be controlled by the state, not by foreign companies. Protesters also demanded Sánchez de Lozada's resignation.

In late September 2003, there were clashes in Warisata between protesters and the army, leading to deaths. A few days later, in early October, it was reported that Sánchez de Lozada planned to export Bolivia's natural gas through a port in Chile. Many Bolivians were angry about this because Bolivia lost its coastal land to Chile in a war in the late 1800s. Protesters then blocked the main highway from El Alto to La Paz, leading to a large demonstration and a virtual siege of La Paz.

La Paz started running low on fuel and other important supplies. On October 11, President Sánchez de Lozada ordered the military to protect gas plants and transport fuel. Fully armed troops were sent to clear the way for fuel trucks through crowded neighborhoods. Protesters tried to stop the convoys, and there were reports of troops shooting, leading to more deaths, including a child and a pregnant woman.

Vice-President Mesa publicly disagreed with Sánchez de Lozada, saying he could not accept that the response to popular pressure was death. Other ministers also resigned. Thousands of Bolivians marched on La Paz, demanding the president's resignation.

Faced with growing anger and losing political support, Sánchez de Lozada resigned on October 17, 2003. He then left Bolivia for the United States. Official reports stated that 65 civilians died during the Gas War, and around 400 people were injured.

Life After Presidency

After Sánchez de Lozada left Bolivia, there were efforts to hold him and his former ministers responsible for the events of 2003. In 2004, Bolivia's Congress voted to allow a "Trial of Responsibility" to investigate the violence. The Attorney-General's office gathered evidence and testimony. In 2011, the Bolivian Supreme Court sentenced some military members and politicians to prison for their roles in the events.

Bolivia also tried to have Sánchez de Lozada sent back from the U.S. to face trial. However, the U.S. government rejected this request in 2012, stating that his actions were not considered a crime in the U.S.

Legal Cases in the United States

Families of some of the Bolivians who died during the 2003 protests filed legal cases against Sánchez de Lozada and his former defense minister, Carlos Sanchez Berzaín, in the United States. They sought money for damages.

In 2014, a U.S. court ruled that the case could move forward under a law called the Torture Victim Protection Act. The trial began in March 2018 in Florida. In April 2018, a jury found both Sánchez de Lozada and Sánchez Berzaín responsible for the deaths and ordered them to pay $10 million in damages. However, in May 2018, the federal judge overturned this verdict, saying there was "insufficient evidence."

The lawyers for the families appealed this decision. In August 2020, a higher court (the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals) overturned the judge's decision and sent the case back for reconsideration. Then, in April 2021, a U.S. District Judge reaffirmed the 2018 jury verdict, meaning Sánchez de Lozada and Carlos Sanchez Berzaín were again found responsible and ordered to pay $10 million.

See also

In Spanish: Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada para niños

• President of Bolivia
• History of Bolivia
• Politics of Bolivia
• Our Brand Is Crisis (2005), a documentary about Sánchez de Lozada's second presidential campaign.