Ernesto de la Guardia
{{Short description|President of Panama (1904–1983)}}
{{Family name hatnote|Guardia|Navarro|lang=Spanish}}{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Ernesto de la Guardia
|image =
|caption =
|order = President of Panama
|term_start = 1 October 1956
|term_end = 1 October 1960
|vicepresident = Temistocles Díaz
Heraclio Barletta
|predecessor = Ricardo Arias
|successor = Roberto Chiari
|birth_name = Ernesto de la Guardia Navarro
|birth_date = {{birth date|1904|5|30|df=y}}
|birth_place = Panama City, Panama
|death_date = {{death date and age|1983|5|2|1904|5|30|df=y}}
|death_place = Panama City, Panama
|profession = Politician
|party = National Patriotic Coalition
|position =
|alma_mater =
}}
Ernesto de la Guardia Navarro (30 May 1904 – 2 May 1983) was president of Panama from 1 October 1956 to 1 October 1960. He was a member of the National Patriotic Coalition (CNP).
Early life and education
Born in Panama City, he was educated at Dartmouth College in the United States, where he obtained a master's degree in finance.
Political career
He began his political career as a consul in the Costa Rican consulate in San Francisco.{{cite book |last=Leonard |first=Thomas M. |date=18 November 2014 |title=Historical Dictionary of Panama |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EmqPBQAAQBAJ&q=panama+historical+dictionary+ernesto+145&pg=PA145 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=145 |isbn=9780810878358 }} Prior to his administration, he held diplomatic positions, as well as serving as secretary of state and First Vice President from 1945 to 1948. He was considered a visionary of the Electoral Tribunal and other constitutional reforms, he earned a reputation as a leading advocate for Panamian democracy. During his administration, he was involved in disputes with the United States involving interpretations of the treaties regarding the Panama Canal Zone. On 26 April 1959, he faced an attempted coup planned by diplomat Roberto Arias, nephew of deposed ex-president Arnulfo Arias and husband of famous British ballerina Margot Fonteyn.{{Cite news |date=1959-04-22 |title=1959: Dame Margot Fonteyn released from jail |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/low/dates/stories/april/22/newsid_2938000/2938889.stm |access-date=2024-09-17 |language=en-GB}} The coup, allegedly sponsored by Fidel Castro, was suppressed with help from the United States and other American countries.
Personal life
Navarro was married to Mercedes Galindo; they had two sons and a daughter.
Later life and death
After vacating the presidency, he was a member of the Academia Panameña de la Lengua (directing it in 1973 2), and directed the weekly Mundo Gráfico. He died in Panama City in 1983 at the age of 78.
References
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20040501051121/http://www.pa/patria/ermestodguardia.html Ernesto de la Guardia Short biography] {{in lang|es}}
- [http://www.rulers.org/indexg4.html Ernesto de la Guardia Short biography]
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{{succession box
|title=First Vice President of Panama
|before=Jeptha Duncan
|after=Daniel Chanis
|years=1945–1948}}
{{succession box
|title=President of Panama
|before=Ricardo Arias
|after=Roberto Chiari
|years=1956–1960}}
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{{Presidents and heads of state of Panama}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guardia Navarro, Ernesto de la}}
Category:People from Panama City
Category:20th-century presidents of Panama
Category:Vice presidents of Panama
Category:National Patriotic Coalition politicians
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