Juan María Bordaberry

Juan María Bordaberry Arocena is a Uruguayan statesman and cattle rancher, who served as President from 1972 to 1976. He came to office following the Presidential elections of late 1971. In 1973, he dissolved the General Assembly and was widely regarded as ruling by decree as a military-sponsored dictator until disagreements with the military led to his deposition before his original term of office had expired. On November 17, 2006 he was arreste... more

Juan María Bordaberry Arocena is a Uruguayan statesman and cattle rancher, who served as President from 1972 to 1976. He came to office following the Presidential elections of late 1971. In 1973, he dissolved the General Assembly and was widely regarded as ruling by decree as a military-sponsored dictator until disagreements with the military led to his deposition before his original term of office had expired. On November 17, 2006 he was arrested in a case involving four deaths, including two of members of the General Assembly during the period of civilian-military rule in the 1970s. Bordaberry was born in 1928 in Montevideo, Uruguay's capital. He was the heir to one of the largest ranches in the country. Initially, he belonged to the National Party, popularly known as the Blancos, and was elected to the Senate on the Blanco ticket. In 1964, however, he assumed the leadership of Liga Nacional de Accion Ruralista (Spanish for "National Rural Action League"), and in 1969 joined the... less