Hugo Ballivián

President of Bolivia

7 June 1901 La Paz, Bolivia

15 July 1993(1993-07-15) (92) La Paz, Bolivia

16 May 1951 – 11 April 1952

44th President of Bolivia In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ballivián and the second or maternal family name is Rojas. Hugo Ballivián Rojas (7 June 1901 – 15 July 1993) was a Bolivian politician and military officer who served as the de facto 44th President of Bolivia from 1951 to 1952. A career military officer, he was Commander of the Bolivian Armed Forces when President Mamerto Urriolagoitía called upon him to take over as extra-Constitutional chief executive in order to prevent the swearing-in of the reform-minded President-elect, Víctor Paz Estenssoro. This was a self-coup that became popularly known as the Mamertazo. Installing himself in the Palacio Quemado, Ballivián was the oligarchy's last hope to "turn back the hands of the clock," but the situation was apparently beyond repair. Despite declaring a nationwide curfew and exiling and imprisoning a number of opposition leaders, the demonstrations, work stoppages, and uprisings continued. Matters came to a head when Ballivián's Minister of Government, General Antonio Seleme, secretly pledged his support to the plotters, then led by Hernán Siles Zuazo (since Paz Estenssoro was at the time exiled in Argentina). This catalyzed the events of April 9-11, 1952, that have come to be known as the Bolivian National Revolution, or the 1952 Revolution. They mark an important watershed in the history of Bolivia, routing the supporters of Ballivián, which included large sectors of the Bolivian armed forces. Defections to the rebel camp tilted the scales, and following various days of violent armed confrontation the President sought asylum in the Chilean Embassy. Thus at long last expired the last government of 1880-1952 period. Vilified by many as the last leader of the Old Regime, and seen in more benign terms by others as a general doing his duty as he was entrusted to at an extremely difficult time in Bolivian history, Hugo Ballivián Rojas died in 1993, long retired from any political activity. He was 92 years old. Sources Mesa José de; Gisbert, Teresa; and Carlos D. Mesa, Historia de Bolivia, 3rd edition., pp. 584–587. Political offices Preceded by Mamerto Urriolagoitía President of Bolivia 1951–1952 Succeeded by Hernán Siles Zuazo Interim vtePresidents of Bolivia Simón Bolívar (1825) Antonio José de Sucre (1825–1828) José María Pérez de Urdininea (1828) José Miguel de Velasco (1828) Pedro Blanco Soto (1828–1829) José Miguel de Velasco (1829) Andrés de Santa Cruz (1829–1839) José Miguel de Velasco (1839–1841) Sebastián Ágreda (1841) Mariano Enrique Calvo (1841) José Ballivián (1841–1847) Eusebio Guilarte Vera (1847–1848) José Miguel de Velasco (1848) Manuel Isidoro Belzu (1848–1855) Jorge Córdova (1855–1857) José María Linares (1857–1861) José María de Achá (1861–1864) Mariano Melgarejo (1864–1871) Agustín Morales (1871–1872) Tomás Frías Ametller (1872–1873) Adolfo Ballivián (1873–1874) Tomás Frías Ametller (1874–1876) Hilarión Daza (1876–1879) Narciso Campero (1880–1884) Gregorio Pacheco (1884–1888) Aniceto Arce (1888–1892) Mariano Baptista (1892–1896) Severo Fernández (1896–1899) José Manuel Pando (1899–1904) Ismael Montes (1904–1909) Eliodoro Villazón (1909–1913) Ismael Montes (1913–1917) José Gutiérrez Guerra (1917–1920) Bautista Saavedra (1921–1925) Felipe Segundo Guzmán (1925–1926) Hernando Siles Reyes (1926–1930) Carlos Blanco Galindo (1930–1931) Daniel Salamanca (1931–1934) José Luis Tejada Sorzano (1934–1936) David Toro (1936–1937) Germán Busch (1937–1939) Carlos Quintanilla (1939–1940) Enrique Peñaranda (1940–1943) Gualberto Villarroel (1943–1946) Néstor Guillén (1946) Tomás Monje (1946–1947) Enrique Hertzog (1947–1949) Mamerto Urriolagoitía (1949–1951) Hugo Ballivián (1951–1952) Víctor Paz Estenssoro (1952–1956) Hernán Siles Zuazo (1956–1960) Víctor Paz Estenssoro (1960–1964) René Barrientos (1964–1966) Alfredo Ovando Candía (1966) René Barrientos (1966–1969) Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas (1969) Alfredo Ovando Candía (1969–1970) Juan José Torres (1970–1971) Hugo Banzer (1971–1978) Juan Pereda (1978) David Padilla (1978–1979) Wálter Guevara (1979) Alberto Natusch (1979) Lidia Gueiler Tejada (1979–1980) Luis García Meza (1980–1981) Celso Torrelio (1981–1982) Guido Vildoso (1982) Hernán Siles Zuazo (1982–1985) Víctor Paz Estenssoro (1985–1989) Jaime Paz Zamora (1989–1993) Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (1993–1997) Hugo Banzer (1997–2001) Jorge Quiroga (2001–2002) Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (2002–2003) Carlos Mesa (2003–2005) Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé (2005–2006) Evo Morales (2006–2019) Jeanine Áñez (2019–2020) Luis Arce (2020–present) Category List