Néstor Guillén Olmos (28 January 1890 – 12 March 1966) was a Bolivian judge, lawyer, and politician who served as the 40th
president of Bolivia
The president of Bolivia (), officially known as the president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia (), is head of state and head of government of Bolivia and the captain general of the Armed Forces of Bolivia.
According to the Bolivian C ...
from July to August 1946.
Background and earlier career
Born in
La Paz
La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...
, Guillén studied law and rose to become the dean of the Superior District Court of La Paz.
President of Bolivia
Néstor Guillén served as
President of Bolivia
The president of Bolivia (), officially known as the president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia (), is head of state and head of government of Bolivia and the captain general of the Armed Forces of Bolivia.
According to the Bolivian C ...
for 27 days between July and August 1946, following the overthrow and assassination of President
Gualberto Villarroel
Gualberto Villarroel López (15 December 1908 – 21 July 1946) was a Bolivians, Bolivian military officer who served as the 39th president of Bolivia from 1943 to 1946. A reformist, sometimes compared with Argentina's Juan Perón, he is non ...
(1943–46). Upon the death of Villarroel, the alliance of forces that had toppled him needed a reliable and impartial caretaker (given the mood of the citizenry, which had just shown what it was capable of during the revolt) to guide the country to elections. They settled on the head of the La Paz
Court of Appeals
An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear a case upon appeal from a trial court or other lower tribunal. Appellat ...
,
Tomás Monje Gutiérrez, who was ill at the time. Thus, Guillén filled in for him for fewer than four weeks, whereupon Monje was sworn in as president. The old oligarchy was established again but, not long after, would fall only a few years later.
Later career and death
Guillén then returned to his judgeship and died on 12 March 1966 in
La Paz
La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...
,
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
.
See also
*
Cabinet of Néstor Guillén
Sources
*Mesa José de; Gisbert, Teresa; and Carlos D. Mesa, "Historia De Bolivia", 3rd edition., pp. 577–578.
1890 births
1966 deaths
20th-century Bolivian judges
Politicians from La Paz
Lawyers from La Paz
Presidents of Bolivia
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