Tarata, 1919 – Villa Arque (Bolivia), 1969

By the Latin American Team

A military man and vice president of the Junta de Government that overthrew Víctor Paz Estenssoro in 1964, René Barrientos governed alongside Alfredo Ovando Candia in 1965 and was elected president in 1966. He was a leader closely allied with the United States, implementing a plan called Civic Action, which utilized U.S. credits to make purchases in that country, as well as a military plan to try to limit the advances of trade union and popular organizations. During his government, there was repression against guerrillas, including the execution of Ernesto Che Guevara. He died while in office as president of the Republic, the victim of an aviation accident, surrounded by suspicions of having been part of a conspiracy to overthrow him.