Wálter Guevara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wálter Guevara
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| 54th President of Bolivia | |
| In office 8 August 1979 – 1 November 1979 |
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| Vice President | Vacant |
| Preceded by | David Padilla |
| Succeeded by | Alberto Natusch |
| President of the Senate | |
| In office 19 November 1979 – 17 July 1980 |
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| Preceded by | Leónidas Sánchez Arana |
| Succeeded by | Julio Garrett Ayllón |
| In office 2 August 1979 – 8 August 1979 |
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| Preceded by | Julio Campero Trigo |
| Succeeded by | Leónidas Sánchez Arana |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship | |
| In office 4 August 1967 – 7 February 1968 |
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| President | René Barrientos |
| Preceded by | Alberto Crespo Gutiérrez |
| Succeeded by | Tomás Guillermo Elío Moldiz |
| In office 14 November 1959 – 10 June 1960 |
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| President | Hernán Siles Zuazo |
| Preceded by | Víctor Andrade Uzquiano |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Morales Guillén |
| In office 12 April 1952 – 23 January 1956 |
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| President | Víctor Paz Estenssoro |
| Preceded by | Tomás Antonio Suárez |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Barrau Peláez |
| Minister of Government, Justice, and Immigration | |
| In office 17 August 1958 – 12 November 1959 |
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| President | Hernán Siles Zuazo |
| Preceded by | Marcial Tamayo |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Morales Guillén |
| Secretary-General of the Junta | |
| In office 11 February 1944 – 5 April 1944 |
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| President | Gualberto Villarroel |
| Preceded by | Augusto Céspedes |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Wálter Guevara Arze
11 March 1912 Cochabamba, Bolivia |
| Died | 20 June 1996 (aged 84) La Paz, Bolivia |
| Political party | Authentic Revolutionary Party (1960–c. 1980) Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (1942–1960; 1989–1996) Independent Socialist (1938–1942) |
| Spouses | Lola Anaya Rosa Elena Rodríguez Rivas |
| Parents | Wálter Guevara Victoria Arze |
| Education | Higher University of San Andrés University of Chicago |
| Awards |  Order of the Condor of the Andes Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany |
| Signature | .svg) |
Wálter Guevara Arze was an important leader from Bolivia. He was born on March 11, 1912, in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and passed away on June 20, 1996, in La Paz. He was a statesman, which means he was a skilled political leader. He also worked as a government minister, a writer, and a diplomat (someone who represents their country in other nations). In 1979, he became the 54th President of Bolivia for a short time.
Contents
Early Life and Political Journey
Wálter Guevara Arze was born in the Ayopaya Province of the Cochabamba Department on March 11, 1912. He studied to become a lawyer and an economist, even spending time studying in the United States.
Starting a Political Movement
In 1941, Guevara helped create an important political group called the Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (MNR). He founded it with other key figures like Víctor Paz Estenssoro and Hernán Siles Zuazo.
Serving in Government
When the MNR party came to power after the 1952 Bolivian Revolution, Guevara took on several important roles.
- From 1952 to 1956, he was the Minister of Foreign Relations under President Paz Estenssoro. This job involved dealing with other countries.
- From 1956 to 1960, he served as the Minister of Interior for President Siles. This role usually involves managing internal security and government administration.
Guevara was often seen as one of the top three leaders in the MNR. However, he sometimes disagreed with other party members who had more left-leaning ideas.
Forming His Own Party
In 1960, Guevara expected to be the MNR's choice for president. But when Paz Estenssoro decided to run again, Guevara left the party. He then started his own political group called the Partido Revolucionario Auténtico. He ran for president that year and came in second place.
In 1964, he supported a military takeover that removed the MNR from power. After this, he again served as Minister of Foreign Relations, this time for President René Barrientos.
Return to Politics and the Senate
After a period of military rule from 1971 to 1978, Bolivia began to return to democracy. Guevara grew closer to the main MNR party again. In 1978, he ran as the vice-presidential candidate with Paz Estenssoro. They came in second, but the election results were cancelled because of fraud.
A new election was held in 1979. Guevara did not run for president or vice-president this time. Instead, he was elected as a Senator for the MNR alliance. Soon after, he was chosen by his fellow Senators to be the President of the Senate.
Since no presidential candidate won enough votes in the 1979 election, it was up to the Congress to choose the next president. The Congress couldn't agree on anyone, even after many votes. To solve this problem, they decided to make the President of the Senate, Wálter Guevara, the temporary president of Bolivia in August 1979. This was meant to be a short-term solution until new elections could be held in 1980.
President of Bolivia: A Short Term
Wálter Guevara's time as president was very brief and challenging. Bolivia was facing big economic problems. He suggested that he might need to stay in office longer to fix these issues. Many people saw this as an attempt to stay in power, and his popularity dropped quickly. He ended up forming a government made up of experts, as he had lost support from Congress.
Overthrown in a Coup
On November 1, 1979, General Alberto Natusch led a surprise military takeover, removing President Guevara from power. This event was met with strong resistance from people in the cities. General Natusch took control, but there was a lot of violence.
Citizens continued to protest, supported by a nationwide strike organized by the powerful labor union, the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB). In the end, Natusch could only stay in power for sixteen days. He was forced to step down. The only condition he insisted on was that Guevara should not be allowed to become president again. Congress agreed to this, and a new temporary president was chosen: Mrs. Lidia Gueiler, who was the leader of the lower house of Congress.
Later Years and Legacy
Even though he was upset by how he was removed from office, Guevara returned to his role as President of the Senate on November 19, 1979. He continued to support Paz Estenssoro in later elections in 1980 and 1985.
In 1982, he became Bolivia's Ambassador to Venezuela, representing his country abroad. In 1989, when he was quite old, he ran for office again. This time, he was the vice-presidential candidate with Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada for the MNR party. They won the most votes, but Congress chose the third-place finisher, Jaime Paz Zamora, as president instead.
Retirement and Passing
After this, Wálter Guevara retired from public life. He passed away in La Paz on June 20, 1996.
See also
- Cabinet of Wálter Guevara
- In Spanish: Walter Guevara Arze para niños
Images for kids
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Order of the Condor of the Andes
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Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
