Alberto Demicheli
Encyclopedia
Alberto Pedro Demicheli Lizaso (August 7, 1896 – October 12, 1980) was a Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

an political figure. Demicheli was a de facto
De facto government doctrine
The de facto government doctrine is an Argentine case law related to the validity of the actions of de facto governments. It allowed the government actions taken during those times to stay valid after the de facto government had ended...

 President
President of Uruguay
The President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay is the head of state of Uruguay. His or her rights are determined in the Constitution of Uruguay. Conforms with the Secretariat of the Presidency, the Council of Ministers and the Director of the Office of Planning and Budget, the executive branch...

  of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

 in 1976. As a non-democratically elected authority of the Civic-military dictatorship (1973–1985)
Civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay (1973-1985)
The Civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay lasted from June 27, 1973 following the 1973 coup d'état until February 28, 1985.This dictatorship was the corollary of an escalation of violence and authoritarism in a traditionally peaceful country, and should be analyzed in the light of the Cold War...

.

Background

He was a noted jurist and economist and previously served as Interior Minister
Interior minister
An interior ministry is a government ministry typically responsible for policing, national security, and immigration matters. The ministry is often headed by a minister of the interior or minister of home affairs...

 under President Gabriel Terra
Gabriel Terra
Dr. Gabriel Terra Leivas was the President of Uruguay from 1931 to 1938.- Background :Born in Montevideo to a wealthy family, he graduated from the University of Uruguay in 1895, and subsequently joined the faculty....

.

A member of the Colorado Party
Colorado Party (Uruguay)
The Colorado Party is a political party in Uruguay.- Aims :It unites Conservative, Moderate and Social democratic groups. It was the dominant party of government almost without exception during the stabilisation of the Uruguayan republic....

, Demicheli was one of a number of civilians who participated in the civilian-military administration which took office following President Juan Maria Bordaberry
Juan María Bordaberry
Juan María Bordaberry Arocena was a Uruguayan politician and cattle rancher, who first served as President from 1972 until 1976, including as a dictator from 1973 until his ouster in a 1976 coup...

's coup in 1973.

President of Uruguay

He succeeded Bordaberry as President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...

 in July 1976,
He attained the age of 80 during his brief period as President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...

. While in office he adopted measures designed to liberalize the economy.

Demicheli was a relative moderate within the civilian-military administrations which ruled Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

 between 1973 and 1985, in that, although he was known for measures deemed repressive by democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

 advocates opposed to the government, he dissented with his military colleagues regarding the extent to which former political figures should be proscribed from pursuing political activities: this is believed to have hastened the end of his short term of office as President of Uruguay
President of Uruguay
The President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay is the head of state of Uruguay. His or her rights are determined in the Constitution of Uruguay. Conforms with the Secretariat of the Presidency, the Council of Ministers and the Director of the Office of Planning and Budget, the executive branch...

.

Demicheli handed over his Presidential office to Aparicio Méndez
Aparicio Méndez
Aparicio Méndez Manfredini , was a Uruguayan political figure. He was a de facto President of Uruguay from 1976–1981. As a non-democratically elected authority of the Civic-military dictatorship .-Background:...

 in September 1976, who was still serving as President when Demicheli died in 1980.

Historical background

As with his predecessor Juan Maria Bordaberry
Juan María Bordaberry
Juan María Bordaberry Arocena was a Uruguayan politician and cattle rancher, who first served as President from 1972 until 1976, including as a dictator from 1973 until his ouster in a 1976 coup...

, some observers would argue that the close links between leading Colorado party figures such as Demicheli and the military mirror the similar elements present in the Colorado party's founder, the 19th century President and military patriot, Fructuoso Rivera
Fructuoso Rivera
José Fructuoso Rivera y Toscana was an Uruguayan general and patriot who assisted in the efforts to force Brazilians out of the Banda Oriental.-Founder of Colorado Party and President of Uruguay:...

. The preference for rule by decree of nineteenth century Colorado President of Uruguay
President of Uruguay
The President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay is the head of state of Uruguay. His or her rights are determined in the Constitution of Uruguay. Conforms with the Secretariat of the Presidency, the Council of Ministers and the Director of the Office of Planning and Budget, the executive branch...

 Venancio Flores
Venancio Flores
Venancio Flores Barrios was a Uruguayan political leader and general. Flores was President of Uruguay from 1854 to 1855 and from 1865 to 1868.-Background and early career:...

 would also be a historical case in point, according to this argument. Others would reason that Demicheli was morally repudiating Colorado party ideals in cooperating with the civilian-military administration which took office in 1973.

The fact that the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

 Demicheli twice in his career exercised ministerial / executive powers at periods when rule by decree was in force arguably illustrates the fact that within the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

 party there was substantial support for such measures, e.g., his former ministerial colleague César Charlone
César Charlone (politician)
César Charlone was a Uruguayan political figure.-Background:Charlone was prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party during the 1930s.-Vice President of Uruguay:...

 was a Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

 who became Vice-President under Terra. The tendency of some observers to describe Latin American heads of state who ruled by decree as 'de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...

' Presidents may be seen in this light. Others would seek to discount Demicheli's association with the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

 Party.

Spouse

His wife, Sofía Álvarez Vignoli de Demicheli
Sofía Álvarez Vignoli de Demicheli
Sofía Álvarez Vignoli was an Uruguayan jurist and briefly First Lady of Uruguay, who was active in the struggle to achieve Women's Suffrage.-Background:She met her future husband Dr. Alberto Demicheli when they were both law students in Montevideo...

, was noted for her diplomatic activity during the Presidency of Gabriel Terra
Gabriel Terra
Dr. Gabriel Terra Leivas was the President of Uruguay from 1931 to 1938.- Background :Born in Montevideo to a wealthy family, he graduated from the University of Uruguay in 1895, and subsequently joined the faculty....

, in whose administration Alberto Demicheli also served.

External links

  • http://www.bcu.gub.uy/autoriza/peiees/iees03j3110701.pdf


(picture:)
  • http://www.martin.romano.org/wp16/wp16_445.htm
  • See also http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Demicheli (similar Wikipedia article in Spanish)
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