Tomás Berreta Gandolfo (November 22, 1875 – August 2, 1947) was the President of Uruguay for five months in 1947.

Background

Having been an activist in the

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

an Colorado Party since 1896, for a number of years he was active in local politics and served as Intendent of Canelones in the early part of the 20th century. He served as the President of the Senate of Uruguay in 1943. He later served in the government of President Juan José de Amézaga. Berreta was thus a prominent, elderly member of the

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

Party which had ruled the country for long periods, when he stood for election as President, with a view to succeeding the sitting President of Uruguay, Juan José de Amézaga, who was younger than he by several years.

President of Uruguay

March 1947 inauguration

Berreta was inaugurated as President of Uruguay on 1 March 1947. A longstanding military man by profession, President Berreta was notably responsible for founding the ''Liceo Militar General Artigas'', Montevideo, a secondary school in the nation's capital to be run on military lines. During his brief period of office President Berreta had opportunity to travel to meet US President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

Death and succession

Berreta died in office barely five months later on 2 August 1947, victim of prostate cancer. The

Vice President of Uruguay The vice president of Uruguay is the person with the second highest position in the executive branch of the Uruguayan government, after the President of Uruguay. The Vice President replaces the elected President in case of his death or absence. The ...

during Berreta's short Presidency was

Luis Batlle Berres Luis Conrado Batlle y Berres (26 November 1897 – 15 July 1964) was a Uruguayan political figure. Background Batlle Berres was a journalist and prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party. He was selected — in hindsight, with far- ...

. Subsequently, Battle Berres succeeded Berreta as President of Uruguay.

Notes

References