Guillermo Billinghurst
This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(September 2014) |
Guillermo Billinghurst | |
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37thPresident of Peru | |
In office 24 September 1912 – 4 February 1914 | |
Prime Minister | Elías Malpartida Enrique Varela Vidaurre Federico Luna y Peralta Aurelio Sousa Matute |
Vice President | Roberto Leguía Miguel Echenique |
Preceded by | Augusto B. Leguía |
Succeeded by | Óscar R. Benavides |
President of the Senate | |
In office 28 July 1896 – 28 July 1897 | |
Preceded by | Manuel Pablo Olaechea |
Succeeded by | Manuel Candamo |
First Vice President of Peru | |
In office 8 September 1895 – 8 September 1899 | |
President | Nicolás de Piérola |
Preceded by | Vacant(Last held byCésar Canevaroin 1895) |
Succeeded by | Isaac Alzamora |
Senator from Tacna | |
In office 28 July 1895 – 28 July 1899 | |
Preceded by | Manuel Pablo Olaechea |
Succeeded by | Manuel Candamo |
Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
In office 28 July 1878 – 28 July 1880 | |
Constituency | Tarapacá Province |
Personal details | |
Born | Guillermo Enrique Billinghurst Angulo 27 July 1851 Arica,Peru |
Died | 28 June 1915 Iquique,Chile | (aged 63)
Political party | Democratic Party of Peru |
Relatives | Susana Ferrari Billinghurst(cousin) |
Profession | Entrepreneur |
Guillermo Enrique Billinghurst Angulo(27 July 1851,Arica– 28 June 1915,Iquique) was aPeruvianpolitician of English descent who served as the 37th President of Peru. He succeededAugusto B. Leguía,from 1912 to 1914. AnAnglo-Peruvian, Billinghurst's surname is a locational name; Billinghurst is a parish inSussex,England.
During his presidency, Billinghurst became embroiled in an increasingly bitter series of conflicts with Congress, a liberal, he proposed and attempted to pass an advanced social legislation in favour of the working-classes. This was blocked by the conservative and oligarchic factions in the Peruvian Congress, whereupon Billinghurst attempted to call fresh elections. Whereupon these same Conservative factions now called upon the Peruvian military led byÓscar R. Benavides,to carry out acoup d'état.As a result of the coup, which resulted in Benavides becoming President, Billinghurst was sent into exile in Chile where he died shortly thereafter.
Member of the Civilista Party
[edit]This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(April 2024) |
Born to wealthy, upper class parents, ofEnglishpaternal descent, and raised in comfortable circumstances, Billinghurst belonged to the Civilistas group, which were then considered the architects of unprecedented political stability and economic growth in the country, but they also set in motion profound social changes that would, in time, alter the political panorama of Peru.
During his presidency, Billinghurst became embroiled in an increasingly bitter series of conflicts with Congress, ranging from proposed advanced social legislation to settlement of theTacna-Arica dispute.This provoked a military uprising organized by civilian opponents to his regime who used the military to carry out a coup. As a result of the uprising, Billinghurst was sent into exile in Chile where he died shortly thereafter.
As FirstVice President of Peruunder thePiérolaAdministration (1895–1899),[1]Billinghurst was involved in several attempts to solve theTacna and Aricaterritorial dispute withChile.On 9 April 1898, a memorandum was subscribed between theChileanMinister of Foreign Affairs Raimundo Silva Cruz and Billinghurst. It established that before a plebiscite could be held between both countries, an arbitrage would first be requested to the Queen ofSpain,María Cristina de Habsburgo-Lorena(1858–1929) to determine the conditions of the vote. Subsequent events led theProtocol of Billinghurst-Latorrenot to be ratified by the Chilean Chamber of Deputies. A direct result of this setback was the break of diplomatic relations between Peru and Chile in 1901.
Billinghurst served asPresident of the Senatefrom 1896 to 1897.[2]
1912 elections
[edit]The elections of 1912 were the most passionate ones of the so-calledAristocratic Republic(a term coined by Peruvians referring to those in power that were mostly from the social elite of the country). TheCivilist Partyrallied behind the candidacy of Antero Aspíllaga, one of the most prominent and conservative members of the Party. His opponents accused him of being aChilean-bornPeruvian unfit for office.
The Civilistas, however, were unable to manage the new social forces that their policies unleashed. This first became apparent in 1912 when the millionaire businessman Guillermo Billinghurst-–the reform-minded, populist former mayor ofLima-–was able to organize a general strike to block the election of the official Civilista presidential candidate and force his own election by Congress.[3]
Presidency
[edit]This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(April 2024) |
One of the main accomplishments of the Billinghurst administration was the establishment of important legislation that guaranteed theEight-hour dayin Peru. When Congress openedimpeachmenthearings against Billinghurst in 1914, he threatened to arm the workers and forcibly dissolve Congress.
Billinghurst was overthrown on 4 February 1914, in amilitary coupheaded by colonelOscar R. Benavides,Javier andManuel Prado,and conservatives members of theCivilista Party.
Later in exile, Billingshurst declared:"The young Prado, in an extense and pathetic speech, gave me the details and motives behind the coup: All of them (the mutineerered) recognised my patriotism, integrity and my capability to handle the government. However, the only and most serious mistake that I made was the course that my internal politics was doing to the country and, finally, I think the sons of former president Prado must «clean his fathers memory»."
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Abog. Freddy Ronald Centurión González."LA INSTITUCIÓN DE LA VICEPRESIDENCIA DE LA REPÚBLICA EN LA CONSTITUCIÓN PERUANA"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 19 October 2019.Retrieved19 October2019.
- ^"Guillermo Eduardo Billinghurst Angulo profile".congreso.gob.pe.Retrieved17 April2024.
- ^"Peru's Ex-President Dies"(PDF).The New York Times.29 June 1915.