Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada

Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada Bustamante ( born July 1, 1930 in La Paz, Bolivia ), known as " Goni ", was from 1993 to 1997 and in the 2002/2003 president of Bolivia.

Life

After a military coup fled his father, a diplomat in the United States into exile. In Chicago, Gonzalo took in college philosophy and English literature and graduated with very good grades.

After graduating, he went back to Bolivia and devoted himself to the art of film. He then became interested in aerial photography, mine construction and finally in politics.

For the first time between 1993 and 1997 Sánchez de Lozada was president of Bolivia. On 6 August 2002, he was elected as a candidate of the Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (MNR ) again in the office of president, which he did against Evo Morales, the candidate of the Movimiento al Socialismo, prevailed. Once possessed neither candidate has an absolute majority after the election, Sánchez de Lozada, who had united with 22.46 percent of most votes to be was determined by the newly elected parliament president. This ended a several week period of political uncertainty in Bolivia.

Sánchez de Lozada announced sweeping reforms and an austerity program, which led to a strike by police in February 2003. After he had made agreements with U.S. oil companies on the sale and export of natural gas to much at low prices, it came from September to mass protests in the framework in October ( "Black October " ) by the military at least 60 people were killed and more than 400 were injured. In October 2003, Sánchez de Lozada was forced to resign and he fled into exile in the United States. Carlos Mesa took over the presidency.

In February 2005, the prosecutor's office in La Paz against Sánchez de Lozada and 13 former ministers raised his government prosecution for genocide. In October 2008, Bolivia addressed a request for extradition to the United States for Sánchez de Lozada and two of his former ministers ( ex defense minister Carlos Sánchez Berzaín and ex Energy Minister Jorge Berindoague ). Against them, a case before the Supreme Court runs for genocide, violation of the constitution and embezzlement. In 2011, two former government ministers and five ex-military were sentenced to terms ranging from three to 15 years in prison. Sánchez de Lozada enjoys political asylum in the U.S. and is still regarded as the richest man in Bolivia.

Sánchez de Lozada willingly let themselves in political life with his nickname " Goni " address ( diminutive of the first name ). Since he ( grew up in the U.S.), the Spanish speaks with a broad American-English accent, he was called for the majority of his critics but simply " the gringo ".