Guillermo Antonio Rodríguez Lara (born 4 November 1923) is an Ecuadorian former political and military leader who was dictator of

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

from 15 February 1972 to 11 January 1976. He came to power after leading the 1972 military coup against President José María Velasco Ibarra. He characterised his government as "revolutionary and nationalistic."

Biography

Rodríguez was born in Pujilí, Cotopaxi on 4 November 1923. He took courses in C&R&Bn Staff, Irregular Warfare Orientation, and Maintenance Management at the School of the Americas located in Panama. As commander of the

army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

, he led a military coup d'etat executed by a navy commander named Jorge Queirolo G. and forced president José María Velasco into exile, to

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. During his rule, Ecuador experienced substantial economic growth due to an increase in oil prices. The oil wealth enabled his administration to embark on public works programs, funding the construction of hospitals, schools, roads (notably, paving the

Quito Quito (; ), officially San Francisco de Quito, is the capital city, capital and second-largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its metropolitan area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha Province, P ...

Tulcán :''"Tulcan" is also an alternative spelling of tulchan'' Tulcán () is the capital of the province of Carchi Province, Carchi in Ecuador and the seat of Tulcán Canton. The population of the city of Tulcán was 56,719 in the 2022 census. Tulcán ...

road), the

oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial processes, industrial process Factory, plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refining, refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, Bitumen, asphalt base, ...

at Esmeraldas, and new equipment for the armed services. Some military officers attempted an unsuccessful coup against him in 1975. The Ecuadorian military removed him from power in January 1976. Rodríguez turned 100 on 4 November 2023.El expresidente Guillermo Rodríguez Lara cumple 100 años este 4 de noviembre
He is now the oldest living former state leader in the world.

References

External links

Official Website of the Ecuadorian Government about the country President's History
1923 births Living people Ecuadorian men centenarians People from Pujilí Ecuadorian generals Presidents of Ecuador Leaders who took power by coup Leaders ousted by a coup Ecuadorian expatriates in Panama 20th-century Ecuadorian politicians {{Ecuador-mil-bio-stub