Washington Beltrán

Uruguayan political figure

Washington Beltrán Mullin (6 April 1914, Montevideo – 19 February 2003) was a Uruguayan political figure.

Background

A journalist by profession, and son of deputy Washington Beltrán Barbat, who was killed in 1920 in a duel with former Colorado President José Batlle y Ordóñez, Washington Beltrán was a prominent member of the National (Blanco) Party (for some decades he joined the Independent National Party).

He was elected to the Senate in 1958. From 1961, he also served as co-director of the newspaper El País, which was founded by his father.

President of the Uruguayan National Council of Government

Elected in 1958 as a member of the National Council of Government, Beltrán presided over that body from 1965 till 1966, succeeding Luis Giannattasio who had died in office shortly after attending in official capacity the funeral of Winston Churchill.

Post presidency

In 1966, Beltrán was succeeded as President by Alberto Héber Usher. He was re-elected to the senate in 1966, and retired from politics following the coup by Juan María Bordaberry.

In 1987 he was appointed Ambassador to the Holy See.

The rivalry between the Uruguayan Blanco and Colorado parties was a feature of the country's history for more than a century, and, indeed, an intense part of Beltrán's family history. However, in the second round of the 1999 elections, the Blanco Beltrán publicly supported Colorado Jorge Batlle Ibáñez for the presidency against Tabaré Vazquez.

Death

Beltrán died on 19 February 2003. He is buried at the Central Cemetery of Montevideo.^[1]

References

^ "Obituaries of Washington Beltrán" (in Spanish). EL PAIS. 2003-02-20.

External links

Photo

Political offices
Preceded by Luis Giannattasio	President of the Uruguayan National Council of Government 1965–1966	Succeeded by Alberto Héber Usher

Heads of state and government of Uruguay

Heads of state

Governors (1828-1830)	Joaquín Suárez José Rondeau Juan Antonio Lavalleja
Presidents (1830–1955)	Fructuoso Rivera Carlos Anaya Manuel Oribe Fructuoso Rivera Joaquín Suárez Juan Francisco Giró Venancio Flores Gabriel Antonio Pereira Bernardo Berro Lorenzo Batlle y Grau José Eugenio Ellauri Pedro Varela Lorenzo Latorre Francisco Antonino Vidal Alberto Flangini Máximo Santos Francisco Antonino Vidal Máximo Santos Máximo Tajes Julio Herrera y Obes Duncan Stewart Juan Idiarte Borda Juan Lindolfo Cuestas José Batlle y Ordóñez Feliciano Viera Baltasar Brum José Serrato Juan Campisteguy Gabriel Terra Alfredo Baldomir Juan José de Amézaga Tomás Berreta Luis Batlle Berres Andrés Martínez Trueba
Presidency abolished between 1955 and 1967; the National Council of Government became the collective head of state
Presidents (1967–present)	Óscar Diego Gestido Jorge Pacheco Areco Juan María Bordaberry Alberto Demicheli Aparicio Méndez Gregorio Conrado Álvarez Rafael Addiego Bruno Julio María Sanguinetti Luis Alberto Lacalle Julio María Sanguinetti Jorge Batlle Ibáñez Tabaré Vázquez José Mujica Tabaré Vázquez Luis Lacalle Pou

Heads of government

The president was both head of state and head of government between 1830 and 1917
Prime ministers of the National Council of Administration (1917–1933)	Feliciano Viera José Batlle y Ordóñez Julio María Sosa Luis Alberto de Herrera José Batlle y Ordóñez Luis C. Caviglia Baltasar Brum Juan Pedro Fabini Antonio Rubio
The president was both head of state and head of government between 1933 and 1955
Chairmen of the National Council of Government (1955–1967)	Luis Batlle Berres Alberto Fermín Zubiría Arturo Lezama Carlos Fischer Martín Echegoyen Benito Nardone Eduardo Víctor Haedo Faustino Harrison Daniel Fernández Crespo Luis Giannattasio Washington Beltrán Alberto Héber Usher
The president is both head of state and head of government from 1967 onward