Guillermo Rodríguez Lara

Guillermo Rodríguez Lara (1973)

Guillermo Rodríguez Lara (born November 4, 1924 in Pujilí , Ecuador ) is an Ecuadorian military man who was dictator of the Republic of Ecuador from February 6, 1972 to January 11, 1976 .

As commander in chief of the Ecuadorian army , General Rodríguez and Jorge Queirolo Gómez led the coup d'état against President José María Velasco Ibarra in February 1972 . Velasco was deported into exile in Buenos Aires , Argentina .

In the 4 years of his military dictatorship , Rodríguez initiated large-scale oil drilling and invested the money wisely in the country's infrastructure , medical care and education . In September 1975 there was an internal military coup against Rodríguez Lara, which led to a skirmish between rival generals for the presidential palace. General Raúl González Alvear tried to conquer the official residence from a funeral home opposite. In this episode called "Guerra de la Funeraria", Rodríguez Lara ultimately got the upper hand, as he was able to defend himself with the help of Naval Admiral Alfredo Poveda .

In 1976, however, he was deposed from the military. The coup took place on the day of the wedding celebrations for Rodríguez's daughter, which were held in part in the presidential palace. Rodríguez left his post without resistance. He was succeeded by Poveda. Rodríguez spent the rest of his life largely on his hacienda in Pujilí, where he devoted himself to raising cattle.

predecessor	Office	successor
José María Velasco Ibarra	President of Ecuador 1972 - 1976	Alfredo Poveda