Juan Lechín facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juan Lechín Oquendo
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| 29th Vice President of Bolivia | |
| In office 6 August 1960 – 6 August 1964 |
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| President | Víctor Paz Estenssoro |
| Preceded by | Ñuflo Chávez Ortiz |
| Succeeded by | René Barrientos Ortuño |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 May 1914 Coro Coro, Bolivia |
| Died | 27 August 2001 (aged 87) La Paz, Bolivia |
Juan Lechín Oquendo (born May 18, 1914 – died August 27, 2001) was an important leader for workers in Bolivia. He led the Bolivian Mine Workers' Federation (FSTMB) for many years, from 1944 to 1987. He also led the main workers' group, the Bolivian Workers' Union (COB), from 1952 to 1987. Besides his work for unions, he was also the 29th vice president of Bolivia from 1960 to 1964.
Contents
Early Life and Mining Work
Juan Lechín was born in Corocoro, a city in the La Paz Department. His father was an immigrant from Lebanon, and his mother was Bolivian.
He worked in tin mines like Catavi and Siglo XX. These mines were owned by a very rich man named Simón Iturri Patiño. While working as a machinist, Juan Lechín saw how difficult life was for most of the mine workers in the highlands. This experience made him want to help improve their conditions.
Career and Workers' Rights
In the 1940s, Juan Lechín became involved in the new movement for workers' rights. He joined a political group called the Revolutionary Workers' Party (POR). This party had specific ideas about how workers should have more power.
In 1944, Lechín led a meeting of miners in Huanuni. This meeting led to the creation of the FSTMB, the union for Bolivian mine workers. Lechín was chosen as the union's main leader. Around this time, he also joined the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR), another political party. However, he still kept good connections with the POR.
After the 1952 Bolivian National Revolution, Juan Lechín was made the Minister of Mines and Petroleum. He also helped start the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), which was a large group that brought many different workers' unions together. He was elected to lead the COB. Because he played a big part in the Revolution and supported giving weapons to workers to protect the new government, he became very popular with poorer people. He was one of the most popular leaders of the MNR, besides Víctor Paz Estenssoro.
Juan Lechín had more radical political ideas, inspired by Marxism, than other government leaders. This caused disagreements within the ruling party, especially about workers' issues and personal goals.
By the late 1950s, Lechín started to form a group within the ruling party that disagreed with President Hernán Siles Zuazo's policies, which he felt were becoming too conservative. To try and solve these problems, Víctor Paz Estenssoro was asked to return and lead the MNR in the 1960 presidential elections. Paz chose Lechín as his running mate for Vice President. It seemed like Paz promised Lechín that he would be the presidential candidate in 1964.
However, Lechín's strong opinions on political matters eventually convinced Paz to break his promise. Paz even removed Vice President Lechín from the MNR party at their meeting in 1964. After this, Lechín started his own political party, called the Revolutionary Party of the National Left (PRIN).
Times of Exile
Surprisingly, Juan Lechín, who was known as a strong supporter of workers' rights, supported the military takeover in 1964 that removed the MNR from power. But soon after, he was forced to leave the country and live in exile.
He came back in 1971 and was chosen to lead the Popular Assembly. This was a special meeting of workers and citizens supported by a general who wanted reforms, General Juan José Torres. Again, Lechín caused strong disagreements because he tried to create a new system based on unions and the Assembly, similar to workers' councils. After Torres was overthrown later that year, Lechín was exiled again. He did not return until 1978, when democracy started to come back to Bolivia. By then, he was older and not as popular for elections across the country.
However, he remained very popular with the miners. He was once again elected to lead them and to chair the powerful Bolivian Workers' Union (COB). In 1980, he ran for President as the PRIN candidate but did not do well in the elections. Another military takeover, led by Luis Garcia Meza, forced him into exile for a third time.
Return to Democracy
When democracy was brought back to Bolivia in 1982, Lechín and other leaders of the FSTMB and COB returned to politics. In his role as the top labor leader, he strongly criticized the economic plans of President Hernán Siles Zuazo (1982–85). He almost caused the government to fall with big strikes and other actions that stopped cooperation. Lechín also strongly opposed the government of Víctor Paz Estenssoro, who served his fourth term from 1985 to 1989.
Most of Bolivia's tin mines were closed by Paz Estenssoro's government. This happened because tin production was going down and world prices for tin had collapsed. This caused many disagreements within the unions. In 1987, Lechín, who was 73 years old, retired from leading the FSTMB. He was also voted out as the head of the COB. Filemón Escobar replaced him in the FSTMB, and Genaro Flores replaced him in the COB.
Juan Lechín Oquendo passed away in August 2001, at the age of 87.
His Legacy
Juan Lechín was a very important person in Bolivian history, but he also caused a lot of debate. Some people really disliked him, while others followed him very closely. A common criticism against him was that he sometimes caused problems for the very governments that were trying to help workers (like Paz Estenssoro, Torres, and Siles Zuazo between 1982 and 1985). At the same time, he was sometimes more respectful to very strict right-wing governments (like Barrientos, Banzer, and Garcia Meza), at least until he could safely leave the country.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Lechín Oquendo para niños
