Guido Vildoso facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guido Vildoso
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| 59th President of Bolivia | |
| In office 21 July 1982 – 10 October 1982 |
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| Vice President | Vacant |
| Preceded by | Celso Torrelio |
| Succeeded by | Hernán Siles Zuazo |
| Minister of Social Security and Health | |
| In office 9 November 1976 – 21 July 1978 |
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| President | Hugo Banzer |
| Preceded by | Jorge Torrez Navarro |
| Succeeded by | Oscar Román Vaca |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Guido Hernán Vildoso Calderón
5 April 1937 La Paz, Bolivia |
| Parents | Dilipio Vildoso Rejas Etelvina Calderón Meruvia |
| Education | Military College of the Army |
| Signature |  |
General Guido Hernán Vildoso Calderón was born on 5 April 1937. He is a retired military officer from Bolivia. He served as the 59th president of Bolivia for a short time, from July to October 1982. He was the very last president in Bolivia to be put in charge by the military.
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About Guido Vildoso
Guido Vildoso was born in La Paz, Bolivia, on 5 April 1937. He joined the Bolivian armed forces and studied in other countries like Brazil, Panama, and the United States. In the 1970s, he worked in the government of Hugo Banzer, who was a military leader at the time.
In July 1982, Guido Vildoso was a high-ranking officer in the Bolivian Army. At this time, Bolivia had been ruled by military leaders for a while, and people were not happy. Two of these leaders, Luis García Meza and Celso Torrelio, were very unpopular. Because of this, other military leaders chose Vildoso to help the military step down from power. His main job was to bring the country back to a democratic system, where people could vote for their leaders.
Becoming President in 1982
Guido Vildoso became president of Bolivia on 21 July 1982. The country was facing big problems with its economy and society. To fix this, Vildoso quickly worked to bring back democracy. He and the other military leaders had two main choices. They could either hold new elections, or they could bring back the Congress (the group of elected representatives) from 1980 and accept the results of the presidential election from that year.
It became clear that holding new elections would take too long and might even cause a civil war. So, Vildoso's group decided to bring back the 1980 Congress. They promised to accept whoever Congress chose as president. The Congress met again on 23 September. Their first important action was to confirm the results of the 1980 election. These results showed that former president Hernán Siles Zuazo had won the most votes, even though he didn't have a full majority. On 5 October, Congress voted and chose Siles as president.
Returning Power to the People
On 10 October 1982, Vildoso officially gave the presidential symbols back to Congress. This important moment marked the end of military rule in Bolivia. Later that same day, Hernán Siles Zuazo officially became president. When Vildoso and his team handed over power, many people in the crowd booed them loudly.
However, the Bolivian Congress later recognized Vildoso for two big achievements. First, he brought democracy back to Bolivia without any fighting or bloodshed. Second, he helped create the basic ideas for an economic plan, called 21060. This plan was later used by President Víctor Paz Estenssoro to help fix Bolivia's economy.
Life After the Presidency
After giving up power, Guido Vildoso retired from the military. He now lives in Cochabamba. To this day, he is the last non-elected ruler of Bolivia.
See also
In Spanish: Guido Vildoso Calderón para niños
- Cabinet of Guido Vildoso
