Mario López Estrada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mario López Estrada
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| Born | 21 March 1938 Guatemala City, Guatemala
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| Died | 20 March 2023 (aged 84) Guatemala City, Guatemala
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| Education | Universidad de San Carlos |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Title | President of Tigo Guatemala |
Mario López Estrada (born March 21, 1938 – died March 20, 2023) was a very successful businessman from Guatemala. He was known for his work in telecommunications, which is about how people communicate over long distances, like with phones and the internet. He was the main owner of a big phone company called Tigo Guatemala.
Contents
Life and Business Journey
Early Life and Education
Mario López Estrada studied Civil Engineering at the San Carlos University in Guatemala. This type of engineering teaches you how to design and build things like roads and buildings.
Starting His Career
He began his career working for the government. First, he worked for the city of Guatemala, then for the main government. Later, he started his own businesses. He built roads all over Guatemala. After that, he worked on projects to build homes. In 1972, he started his own construction company called Constructora Maya.
Entering Telecommunications
From 1986 to 1991, Mario López Estrada was a government minister. He was in charge of Communications, Infrastructure, and Housing. This was during the time President Vinicio Cerezo was in office.
In 1993, he bought a part of a phone company called Comunicaciones Celulares. This company was owned by the government and was the only phone company at the time. It was about to become a private company. Over time, he bought more and more shares, owning 45% of the company.
This company grew to be the biggest mobile phone service provider in Guatemala. It was later renamed Tigo Guatemala. In 2021, another company called Millicom bought Mario López Estrada's share of Tigo for a lot of money.
Helping the Community
Mario López Estrada also started and led the Tigo Foundation. This foundation works to help children in Guatemala. They support kids with healthcare, education, and sports. The foundation's website says that between 2009 and 2017, they built 250 schools in rural areas of Guatemala.
He also owned a small part of a local newspaper called Prensa Libre.
Awards and Honors
Recognized for Business Excellence
In May 2017, Mario López Estrada received an award called "Excellence in Business Recognition." This award was given by Forbes magazine during a special event in Guatemala City.
See also
In Spanish: Mario López Estrada para niños
