Manfred Reyes Villa
Encyclopedia
Manfred Reyes Villa is a Bolivia
n politician, who was mayor of Cochabamba
four times and ran unsuccessfully for the presidency
in 2002 and 2009 against Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
and Evo Morales Ayma. He founded and led the Nueva Fuerza Republicana (New Republican Force) political party. He was also elected as the Governor
of Cochabamba
, Bolivia
, and served from 2006 until his defeat in the 2008 revocation referendum. He is currently in exile
in the United States.
In 2000 Reyes Villa played a role in the Bolivian Water Wars of 2000.
In 2002, Reyes Villa led the polls (with circa 41%) during the initial months of the presidential race, but lost votes and ended up in third place. Lozada was eventually elected, with the support of Reyes Villa, Jaime Paz Zamora and other minor political leaders forming an alliance in order to have enough votes in the congress for Sanchez de Lozada to become president, but was forced to resign the next year due to massive riots and demonstrations in major cities of Bolivia.
After the resignation of Carlos Mesa
, Lozada's successor, Reyes-Villa looked poised to run for president in the December 4, 2005 elections. Leaving the post to center-right former President Jorge Quiroga, Reyes Villa ran for Governor of the Cochabamba Department, winning the election.
A large uprising, led by peasants and poor urban residents, occurred in Cochabamba early 2007 with thousands of supporters of President Evo Morales
in Cochabamba
demanding Villa's resignation. The clashes were triggered when the occupants of the city could no longer take the destruction that was going on outside their homes.
Villa allied with conservative opposition on issues surrounding the reform and rewriting of the Bolivian constitution and called for greater autonomy from the central government.
He ran for presidential election on 6 December 2009, coming second with 26% of the vote.
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n politician, who was mayor of Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
four times and ran unsuccessfully for the presidency
President of Bolivia
The President of Bolivia is head of state and head of government of Bolivia. According to the current Constitution, the president is elected by popular vote to a five year term, renewable once...
in 2002 and 2009 against Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada y Sánchez de Bustamante , familiarly known as "Goni", is a Bolivian politician, businessman, and former President of Bolivia. A lifelong member of the Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario , he is credited for using "shock therapy", the economic theory championed by then...
and Evo Morales Ayma. He founded and led the Nueva Fuerza Republicana (New Republican Force) political party. He was also elected as the Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Cochabamba
Cochabamba Department
Cochabamba is one of the nine component departments of Bolivia. It is known to be the "granary" of the country because of its variety of agricultural products due to Cochabamba's geographical position. It has an area of 55,631 km². Its population, in the 2007 census, was 1,750,000...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, and served from 2006 until his defeat in the 2008 revocation referendum. He is currently in exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
in the United States.
Military career
Manfred Reyes Villa is the son of General Armando Reyes Villa, Manfred Reyes Villa studied in the Israelite high school (Colegio Israelita) of his native city, and in 1973 entered the Military College of the Army. He achieved the rank of Subteniente in 1982. In that same year, he had his first official appointment in the Military Police Battalion of the city of La Paz. During his military career, he occupied important posts such as Docent in matters of military specialization, and was trained in the School of the Americas in Panama. Military Adjunct to the Embassies of Bolivia in Brazil and the United States, and Secretary General of the Association of Military Adjuncts of South America in Washington, DC.Business career
Later however, he shed his uniform and tried his hand at selling real estate under the business name of MAREVI (an acronym made up of his name's initials). He then ran a night club, "Hollywood", in partnership with a successful Bolivian-Hawaiian nightclub empresario, Joe Camacho, who owned a lucrative nightclub in Hawaii, "The Pink Cadillac". After selling out his interest in the nightclub, Manfred found financial success shortly after he began selling real-estate in the USA.Political career
In 1993 Reyes Villa was elected to his first of four terms as Mayor. Despite ever-present vague charges of corruption. Reyes Villa became a popular figure. After having lived in the United States he came back to Bolivia and was first elected to the Cochabamba city council, and later elected as Mayor of the same city.In 2000 Reyes Villa played a role in the Bolivian Water Wars of 2000.
In 2002, Reyes Villa led the polls (with circa 41%) during the initial months of the presidential race, but lost votes and ended up in third place. Lozada was eventually elected, with the support of Reyes Villa, Jaime Paz Zamora and other minor political leaders forming an alliance in order to have enough votes in the congress for Sanchez de Lozada to become president, but was forced to resign the next year due to massive riots and demonstrations in major cities of Bolivia.
After the resignation of Carlos Mesa
Carlos Mesa
Carlos Diego Mesa Gisbert is a Bolivian politician, historian and President of Bolivia from October 17, 2003 until his resignation on June 6, 2005....
, Lozada's successor, Reyes-Villa looked poised to run for president in the December 4, 2005 elections. Leaving the post to center-right former President Jorge Quiroga, Reyes Villa ran for Governor of the Cochabamba Department, winning the election.
A large uprising, led by peasants and poor urban residents, occurred in Cochabamba early 2007 with thousands of supporters of President Evo Morales
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...
in Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
demanding Villa's resignation. The clashes were triggered when the occupants of the city could no longer take the destruction that was going on outside their homes.
Villa allied with conservative opposition on issues surrounding the reform and rewriting of the Bolivian constitution and called for greater autonomy from the central government.
He ran for presidential election on 6 December 2009, coming second with 26% of the vote.