Tomás Berreta Gandolfo (November 22, 1875 – August 2, 1947) was the

President of Uruguay The president of Uruguay (), officially known as the president of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (), is the head of state and head of government of Uruguay. The president presides over the Cabinet of Uruguay, Council of Ministers, directing ...

for five months in 1947.

Background

Having been an activist in the

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of 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 the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

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 Juan José de Amézaga Landaroso (January 28, 1881 – August 21, 1956) was a Uruguayan political figure and 28th President of Uruguay. Background Amézaga was a prominent member of the Colorado Party, which ruled the country for long peri ...

. Berreta was thus a prominent, elderly member of the

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Party which had ruled the country for long periods, when he stood for election as President, with a view to succeeding the sitting

, who was younger than he by several years.

President of Uruguay

March 1947 inauguration

Berreta was inaugurated as

on 1 March 1947. A longstanding military man by profession, President Berreta was notably responsible for founding the ''Liceo Militar General Artigas'',

Montevideo Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

, 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. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

Death and succession

Berreta died in office barely five months later on 2 August 1947 from

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

. 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. Th ...

during Berreta's short Presidency was

Luis Batlle Berres Luis Conrado Batlle y Berres (26 November 1897 – 15 July 1964) was a Uruguayan politician who was President of Uruguay from 1947 to 1951. Background Batlle Berres was a journalist and prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party. He was ...

. Subsequently, Battle Berres succeeded Berreta as

Notes

References