How to Pronounce Celso Torrelio
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Jun 03, 1933 Chuquisaca Department, Bolivia Died on 23 Apr 1999 (aged 65)
Bolivian president
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About Celso Torrelio
- Celso Torrelio Villa (3 June 1933 – 23 April 1999) was a military general, a member of the Junta of Commanders of the Armed Forces (1981), and de facto President of Bolivia between September 1981 and August 1982. A native of Padilla, department of Chuquisaca, Torrelio joined the Bolivian Army and rose to the rank of general.
- He served as the notorious dictator Luis García Meza's Minister of Interior after the departure, forced by Washington, of the equally-infamous Colonel Luis Arce.
- The García Meza regime became internationally known for its extreme brutality.
- Some 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed by the Bolivian army and security forces between July 1980 and August 1981.
- In addition, the García Meza government was deeply involved in drug trafficking activities, and may have come to power financed directly by the drug cartels.
- This led to the complete isolation of the regime.
- Even the new conservative government of U.S.
- President Ronald Reagan kept its distance and seemed to prefer better options.
- Eventually, the international outcry was sufficiently strong to force García Meza's resignation on 3 August 1981.
- The high command of the Military of Bolivia at that point entrusted General Celso Torrelio with the presidency. Although the military's idea was to replace the polarizing García Meza with a less controversial and more acceptable leader equally as committed to the principles of the anti-communist National Security Doctrine, their plan did not come to fruition.
- The regime continued to be shunned internationally and despised domestically.
- Furthermore, a very grave economic crisis loomed on the horizon, the result of years of mismanagement, a global recession, and the onset of the so-called Latin American debt crisis.
- Faced with the choices of mounting a fresh repressive campaign to re-equilibrate the reeling regime (with the increased international isolation such a move would entail) or call elections, the high command chose the latter.
- In July 1982, General Torrelio was replaced with General Guido Vildoso, who was charged with returning the country to democratic rule.
- Torrelio then retired and did not return to play any role in Bolivian politics. Torrelio was replaced by the Junta of Commanders of the Armed Forces (1982).
