Agustín Morales

Agustín Morales

Pedro Agustín Morales Hernández (March 11, 1808 – November 27, 1872) was a military officer and de facto President of Bolivia between 1871 and 1872.

Morales was born in La Paz. Originally a supporter of President José Ballivián (1841–47), Morales became a sworn enemy of General Manuel Belzu, who had in essence overthrown Ballivián in 1847. Following many years combatting Belzu, Morales came to power with President José Maria Linares (1857–1861). Opposed to the government of General José Maria de Achá, who had overthrown Linares, Morales supported the 1864 coup that brought to power the notorious General Mariano Melgarejo, who rewarded him with the generalship and (importantly) command of the Bolivian Army. Melgarejo's "Sexenio" (Six-Year Ordeal) had been constroversial and brutal, and opposition to it became widespread. Eventually, General Morales changed sides and, after uniting all the factions fighting against the President, dethroned Melgarejo via coup d'état in January, 1871. Thus ended the dreaded "Sexenio"—but not the era of military rule.

Of legendarily volcanic temperament, Morales endeavored to rule as a dictator, but was exposed as semi-literate when, in 1872, one of his letters was published in the newspapers by a famous Bolivian writer. Embarrassed, Morales called Congress for the first time since the early Achá administration and declared himself ready to leave office if considered unworthy. While Congress deliberated, Morales suffered from extremely violent tantrums and mood changes. This led him to physically assault one of his military aides in the Government Palace at La Paz on November 27, 1872. The President's nephew, Federico Lafaye, tried to stop him but was struck himself, whereupon Lafaye shot and killed the temperamental President.

Following Morales' death, Congress proclaimed Tomás Frías as temporary President, charged with the task of calling elections in 1873.

Sources

• Mesa José de; Gisbert, Teresa; and Carlos D. Mesa, "Historia De Bolivia", 3rd edition.

Presidents of Bolivia Simón Bolívar Antonio José de Sucre José María Pérez de Urdininea Pedro Blanco Soto Andrés de Santa Cruz Sebastián Ágreda Mariano Enrique Calvo Cuellar José Ballivián Eusebio Guilarte Vera Víctor González Fuentes José Miguel de Velasco Franco Manuel Isidoro Belzu Jorge Córdova José María Linares José María Achá Mariano Melgarejo Agustín Morales Adolfo Ballivián Tomás Frías Ametller Hilarión Daza Pedro José Domingo de Guerra Narciso Campero Gregorio Pacheco Aniceto Arce Mariano Baptista Severo Fernández José Manuel Pando Eliodoro Villazón Ismael Montes José Gutiérrez Bautista Saavedra Felipe S. Guzmán Hernando Siles Reyes Carlos Blanco Galindo Daniel Salamanca Urey José Luis Tejada Sorzano David Toro Germán Busch Carlos Quintanilla Enrique Peñaranda Gualberto Villarroel Néstor Guillén Tomás Monje Enrique Hertzog Mamerto Urriolagoitía Hugo Ballivián René Barrientos Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas Alfredo Ovando Candía Juan José Torres Hugo Banzer Juan Pereda David Padilla Wálter Guevara Alberto Natusch Lidia Gueiler Tejada Luis García Meza Tejada Celso Torrelio Guido Vildoso Hernán Siles Zuazo Víctor Paz Estenssoro Jaime Paz Zamora Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada Hugo Banzer Jorge Quiroga Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada Carlos Mesa Eduardo Rodríguez Evo Morales