Luis García Meza Tejada

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Luis García Meza Tejada (born August 8, 1929 in La Paz ; † April 29, 2018 ibid) was a Bolivian general who was dictator of the Republic of Bolivia from July 17, 1980 to August 4, 1981 .

Military regime

In July 1980 , García Meza, with the support of the Argentine intelligence unit Batallón de Inteligencia, launched a coup in 601 against President Lidia Gueiler Tejada , whose cousin he was, and established a repressive regime of terror. Dozens of people fell victim to this so-called “ Cocaine Coup” on July 17, 1980. Immediately after the seizure of power, political parties were banned, members of the opposition and political opponents abducted and the press silenced.

The military regime of García Meza gained international fame due to its extreme brutality. In the 13 months the population was massively suppressed, one speaks of several thousand people who were killed by the Bolivian army . The most famous victim was the prominent MP, politician and talented speaker Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz , who disappeared without a trace just a short time after the coup . Quiroga was the chief prosecutor and initiator of the human rights violation and mismanagement trial against the former dictator General Hugo Banzer , who ruled from 1971 to 1978, and under whose rule García Meza had become general. The García Mezas regime was deeply involved in the drug trade and was co-financed by the drug cartels .

On August 4, 1981 García Mezas was forced to resign by a military junta led by Lucio Áñez Rivera and Alberto Natusch Busch . He was succeeded on September 4, 1981 by General Celso Torrelio Villa . García Meza left Bolivia in 1987 on trial against him and in 1993 was sentenced in absentia to a 30-year prison term with no right to pardon. This was the first trial in Latin America against a former dictator for misconduct during his tenure. In 1994 he was tracked down in Brazil and extradited to Bolivia in 1995. He was detained in a separate wing at Chonchocoro Detention Center . In March 2010 it was noticed by chance that García Meza in Chonchocoro was enjoying extraordinary privileges, such as a separate living area and a private sauna.

literature

  • Thomas Pampuch, Agustín Echalar Ascarrunz: Bolivia . CH Beck, Munich, 3rd edition, 1998, ISBN 3-406-44113-0

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bolivia's dictator Garcia Meza has died , accessed April 29, 2018
  2. ^ Murió Luis García Meza , Spanish , accessed April 29, 2018
  3. ^ Roberto Ortiz de Zárate: Political Leaders: Bolivia . ( Memento from August 16, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Terra.es, version from August 16, 2007.
  4. ↑ Former Bolivian dictator had a sauna and gym in his cell . ( Memento of the original from June 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Latina Press , March 17, 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / latina-press.com
predecessor Office successor
Lidia Gueiler Tejada President of Bolivia
1980–1981 		Celso Torrelio Villa
personal data
SURNAME Meza Tejada, Luis García
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Meza, García (short name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bolivian military and president
DATE OF BIRTH August 8, 1929
PLACE OF BIRTH La Paz
DATE OF DEATH April 29, 2018
Place of death La Paz