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Biography of Gabriel TerraName: Gabriel TerraBirth Date: 1873 Death Date: 1942 Place of Birth: Montevideo, Uruguay Nationality: Uruguayan Gender: Male Occupations: politician, president Gabriel Terra Gabriel Terra (1873-1942) was a Uruguayan politician. President by election, he overthrew his government by a coup d'etat in 1933 and headed a mildly authoritarian government until 1938.Born in Montevideo, Gabriel Terra was educated at the University of Montevideo. He received a degree in law and jurisprudence in 1895, and his lifelong specialty was principally in fiscal and financial matters. He began a legal practice and also became a teacher of economics in the Escuela Superior of Montevideo. Later he served as professor of political economy in the law school of the university.Terra entered active politics soon after receiving his degree. In 1905 he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies as a Colorado and follower of President José Batlle y Ordóñez. Terra rose rapidly in the party and, while still a deputy, announced his intention of one day becoming president of the republic. Batlle appears to have been …showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…Terra's inauguration occurred at the nadir of the world depression. He felt that the council was a major cause of his country's economic collapse. As president, he had the power to subvert the government. His actions prior to the coup were well noted, but opposition proved fruitless. Economic recovery occurred after 1933, but it is not clear that the coup hastened that recovery. His image is as much that of a technocrat as of a politician. He was held in check by Batlle until the latter's death in 1929. Terra remains a controversial figure and an exception among the proconstitution leaders of his political generation. Further Reading There is no work in English on Terra. Useful background material may be found in Simon G. Hanson, Utopia in Uruguay (1938); John J. Johnson, Political Change in Latin America: The Emergence of the Middle Sectors (1958); and Philip B. Taylor, Jr., Government and Politics of Uruguay (1962). |