José Luis Gabriel Terra Leivas (

Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

, 1 August 1873 - Montevideo, 15 September 1942) was a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and politician of batllista origin in Uruguay, and advisor to all Uruguayan governments on

diplomatic Diplomatics (in American English, and in most anglophone countries), or diplomatic (in British English), is a scholarly discipline centred on the critical analysis of documents: especially, historical documents. It focuses on the conventions, p ...

, Economic and

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issues between 1900 and 1938. He spent part of his childhood and adolescence in his father's (

José Ladislao Terra José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...

) farm and studied Law at UDELAR while also specializing in economic and financial science, graduating in 1895. He practiced as

and

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

at the end of the 1890's and he was professor at the Higher School of Commerce (known since 1935 as the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Administration) from 1901. He was a national

deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spai ...

from 1903 to 1907,

minister Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

of Industry, Labor and Public Instruction from 1907 to 1911. He founded the industrial oxygen production company CINOCA in 1908 and was a member of the National Constituent Assembly of 1917, Minister of the Interior from 1919 to 1921, member of the

National Administration Council The National Council of Administration ( es, Consejo Nacional de Administración) was part of the executive power in Uruguay between 1919 and 1933, ruling alongside the President of the Republic.Constitutional President between 1931 and 1933, but became a de facto president from March 1933 to May 1934 after launching a self-coup. However, he once again became a de jure Constitutional President until June 1938. Terra was president of the Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay in 1938. However, he suffered a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

that same year, causing him to remain paralytic for four years until his death in 1942. Terra died in poverty, passing away in an armchair on the early morning of 1September 15, 1942. At his funeral he received the corresponding

state honors State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

, and the country entered a mourning period. His remains were accompanied by hundreds of thousands of people along the procession. However, due to his presidency beng very controversial, his coffin was spat on by editors of the newspaper El Día, causing a fight to break out. The location of his grave is unknown. Terra left no economic inheritance or political party. He remains a controversial president and his name spurs disgust in Uruguay.

Background

Terra graduated as a lawyer in 1895 from UDELAR and had a lengthy political career, being a national deputy, he was deputy, minister of Industry, Work, and Public Instruction, a member of the 1917 Uruguayan Constituent Assembly, and member of the

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. He was affiliated to the Colorado Party, although he was often independent of the dominant positions of its leader, José Batlle y Ordóñez. Terra was an expert in economic and diplomatic issues, areas in which he advised all Uruguayan governments between 1904 and 1938.

Political career

Graduated as a lawyer in 1895, he was deputy minister to the President Claudio Williman, member of the Constituent Assembly in 1917, Minister to the President

Baltasar Brum Baltasar Brum Rodríguez, GCTE (18 June 1883 – 31 March 1933) was a Uruguayan political figure. He was President of Uruguay from 1919 to 1923. Background His political convictions closely followed those of liberal President José Batlle y Ord ...

and member of the

. He was an expert in economic and diplomatic issues, areas in which he advised all the Uruguayan governments between 1900 and 1938, he was a member of the Colorado Party, although many times independent of the dominant positions of its leader , José Batlle y Ordóñez. He was a defender of cooperativism, he wanted this model to be imposed in all areas of society, in 1907 as "Minister of Industry, Labor and Public Instruction" he founded more than 200 rural schools, promoted a bill to create an inheritance tax, it created the "National Labor Office

where for the first time he named the regulation of the 8 working hours that in 1915 was approved, among other social security laws, through the same body by

Pedro Cosio Pedro Cosio Masden was a Uruguayan politician and diplomat. *In 1910 as Candidate of the Colorado Party (Uruguay) he was elected 24th legislative period as representative of the Department of Montevideo in the Chamber of Representatives of Uru ...

. He was a pioneer in promoting the development of hydroelectric energy and the use of hydrogen as fuel. His candidacy for the presidency in 1930 was opposed to the Luis Alberto de Herrera, leader of the National Party who obtained 47.26% of the votes cast, compared to 52.02% in favor of Earth. On February 13, 1938, during a spontaneous congregation of workers to honor him in front of his house, in his last public speech to a popular crowd, he said: He was the Uruguayan President who held office for the longest uninterrupted time, the only one to have 3 terms and the first to be re-elected, he presided over a Government Constitutional between 1931 and 1933, from 1933 to 1934 one dictatorial and was re-elected by more than 60% of the electorate in 1934 for the period 1934-1938. On June 19, 1938, his government ends, he is appointed President of the

Bank of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

, in the last months of 1938 his physical condition deteriorates, he suffers a cerebrovascular accident and is left paralytic until his death on September 15, 1942. He died in poverty, he left no economic inheritance, nor political-partisan inheritance, his name is synonymous with repudiation in Uruguay.

National Government (1931-1938)

March 1, 1931 assumed the Presidency of the Republic for the period 1931-1935. He opposed the Constitution of 1918 from the beginning, claiming that it was an unviable system that generated ungovernability. In 1932 the economic and political crisis worsened, in November of that year he finally separated from the leading figures of Batllismo and began an unconstitutional tour of the interior of the country in favor of a Constitutional reform, instigating the mobilization of thousands of farmers through the center of Montevideo, on April 1 a "March on Montevideo" is organized, inspired by the March on Rome of

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

, they parade on Larrañaga Avenue to the "Centro Eúskaro" thousands of people, manages to unite the support of the rural sectors and reactionaries. On the night of March 31, 1933, with the support of the National Police, led by Baldomir Ferrari, the

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, more than 70% of the Batllismo with the former presidents Claudio Williman, José Serrato,

Juan Campisteguy Juan Campisteguy Oxcoby (7 September 1859 – 4 September 1937) was a Uruguayan soldier, lawyer, and President of Uruguay (1927–1931). Biography He was born in Montevideo. Son of a soldier in the Great Siege of Montevideo, Campisteguy ended ...

, the Vierismo, the Riverismo and the majority sector of the National Party, led by Luis Alberto de Herrera, carried out a coup d'état by which the

National Council of Administration The National Council of Administration ( es, Consejo Nacional de Administración) was part of the executive power in Uruguay between 1919 and 1933, ruling alongside the President of the Republic.Parliament and the Chamber of Senators. The period inaugurated by said coup is known as " Terra's dictatorship", named by the putschists as "Third Republic" or "March Government", who give the Coup d'etat the name of " Revolution of March". He established a

traditionalist Traditionalism is the adherence to traditional beliefs or practices. It may also refer to: Religion * Traditional religion, a religion or belief associated with a particular ethnic group * Traditionalism (19th-century Catholicism), a 19th–cen ...

and anti-liberal government that was opposed by Batllismo, the Independent Whites ( liberals), the Socialist Party of Uruguay and the Communist Party of Uruguay (

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). In 1934 he promulgated a new

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of a presidential character, which was in full force until 1942, it restricted the immigration of "alcoholics, mentally ill and disabled", decriminalized the homosexuality, recognized new Rights that the State should guarantee, such as the Right to strike, Right to housing, Right to work, Right to health, Right to food, Protection of Children and the family, Equality between both sexes, women's vote, increased State control in the economy, with new sections and articles for the Autonomous Entities and Decentralized Services, the State Comptroller on Trusted Capitals and Oligopolies and the Prohibition of Usury. He was elected Constitutional President again for the period 1934-1938, and held office until June 19, 1938.

Economic and financial policy and international relations

During his mandate an aggressive import substitution industrialization policy was developed, between 1933 and 1938 the industry grew by 60%, more than 11,000 new factories were founded, important public works were carried out, such as a massive program of roads and workers' housing to Through the Ministry of Public Works, the "National Institute of Affordable Housing" was creat

by 1938 a powerful middle class was created, the agro-export model was completely replaced by that of Import Substitution Industrialization, poverty and unemployment were eliminate
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It carried out programs for the modernization of agricultural production, the elimination of hunger and the subdivision of the land, with the creation of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, the "Institute National Scientific Food of the People", the "Compulsory Cultivation Law", the "Field Distribution Law", granted more than 2,000 poor families, fields and elements for production, among more than 2,300 nationally manufactured tractors and plows For 1937, agricultural production increased the cultivated area by 351,000 hectares and gave work to 31,000 more people than at the beginning of the dictatorship. In 1933, it created the free school canteens of the

Ministry of Education and Culture The Ministry of Education and Culture is a Cabinet position in the governments of several nations. In some nations the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture are separate departments; in others, the Ministry of Education and Culture als ...

in all public primary schools in the country. His sayings about the Jewish people and international finance, in one of his long radio-conferences, are recorded on page 310 of the book "Gabriel Terra: The Man, The Politician, The Ruler" by General Dr. José Luciano Martínez. The financial system was reformed through the approval of the "Revaluation Law", the issuance of credit and the commercial activity of the banking was 100% monopolized by the "Issuance Department" created in 1935, based on article 51 of the 1934 Constitution ("All types of usury are prohibited"). On April 14, 1933, debt collection was eliminated, benefiting especially small and medium-sized rural producers, amortized debts, canceled the payment of 55,000,000 of external credits and fixed all interests at 4% per year through Law 9,071. It did not ask for external credits, in 1935 it paid the debt with United Kingdom, in 1936 with United States and by 1938 it paid all the external debt of Uruguay, which constituted 61,000.00 of pesos incurred since the Great War in the century XIX, until 1933. taxes were reduced, all taxes on those who earned less than 100 pesos per month, between 1934 and 1938 the administration had significant surpluses, such as 9.65% in 1935.

Sources

Geneall

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Terra, Gabriel People from Montevideo Presidents of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay Presidents of Uruguay 20th-century Uruguayan lawyers Education and Culture Ministers of Uruguay 1873 births 1942 deaths Colorado Party (Uruguay) politicians Uruguayan anti-communists Uruguayan bankers Collars of the Order of the White Lion