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Luis Adolfo Siles | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 1969 | |
| 49th President of Bolivia | |
| In office 27 April 1969 – 26 September 1969 | |
| Vice President | Vacant |
| Preceded by | René Barrientos |
| Succeeded by | Alfredo Ovando |
| 31st Vice President of Bolivia | |
| In office 6 August 1966 – 27 April 1969 | |
| President | René Barrientos |
| Preceded by | René Barrientos |
| Succeeded by | Jaime Paz Zamora |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas (1925-06-21)21 June 1925 La Paz, Bolivia |
| Died | 19 October 2005(2005-10-19) (aged 80) La Paz, Bolivia |
| Political party | Offensive of the Democratic Left(1978–1980) Social Democratic(1944–1978) |
| Spouse | Clemencia Santa Cruz García |
| Parent(s) | Hernando Siles Reyes Luisa Salinas Vega |
| Relatives | Hernán Siles Zuazo(half-brother) Jorge Siles Salinas [es] (brother) |
| Alma mater | University of San Francisco Xavier |
| Occupation |
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| Signature | .svg) |
Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas (21 June 1925 – 19 October 2005)[1] was a Bolivian jurist, lawyer, politician, andhuman rights activist who served as the 49thpresident of Bolivia from April to September 1969. He previously served as the 31stvice president of Bolivia underRené Barrientos from 1966 to 1969.
Born inLa Paz, Luis Adolfo Siles was the son of former presidentHernando Siles Reyes (1926–1930) and half-brother of another Bolivian politician and two-time president,Hernán Siles Zuazo (1956–1960 and 1982–1985). Educated as a lawyer in his native country, he also obtained a doctorate in Spain. Siles eventually joined the small Partido Demócrata Cristiano (Christian-Democrat Party), which supportedRené Barrientos in the 1966 elections.Eisenhower Fellowships selected Luis Adolfo Siles in 1955 to represent Bolivia.
In fact, Siles ran as General Barrientos' vice-presidential running mate, and was sworn in in that capacity after their ticket prevailed at the polls.[2]
Siles became president when Barrientos was killed in a helicopter crash nearArque,Cochabamba, on 27 April 1969.
The Siles presidency was short and marred by disagreements with the powerful Commander of the Armed Forces, GeneralAlfredo Ovando. The latter harbored ambitions to become president in 1970, when he was projected to run as Barrientos' successor. But Ovando's disagreements with Barrientos on a number of important issues during the 1967–69 period had displeased many die-hard Barrientos followers, including Vice-president Siles. For these reasons, in addition to resentment over the constant meddling by Ovando, Siles seemed to be throwing his support behind the surprise candidacy of the Mayor of La Paz,Armando Escobar Uría, as the true heir and successor to Barrientos (Bolivian laws did not allow direct re-election of a sitting president). This threatened to spoil General Ovando's carefully laid plans.
In the end General Ovando decided not to wait for the elections and instead launched acoup d'état on 26 September 1969, overthrowing Siles and with him, what was left of Bolivian democracy (or its appearances, in any case).
Returning to Bolivia during the dictatorship ofHugo Banzer (1971–78), Siles played a prominent role as a defender of human rights. He ran for president in 1980, but failed to garner much support. Despite leading a relatively small party, Siles vociferously opposed the 1980-81 dictatorship ofLuis García Meza.
Respected for his steadfast stance in defense of democratic principles, Siles died on 19 October 2005 inLa Paz.
| Year | Office | Party | Alliance | Votes | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | |||||||
| 1966 | Vice president | Social Democratic Party | Front of the Bolivian Revolution | 677,805 | 67.14% | 1st | Won | ||
| 1978 | Senator | Offensive of the Democratic Left | Democratic and Popular Unity Front | [data missing] | 1st | Annulled | |||
| 1980 | President | Offensive of the Democratic Left | Democratic Revolutionary Front – New Alternative | 39,401 | 3.01% | 5th | Lost | ||
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