History of Ecuador (1944–1960)
Republic of Ecuador República del Ecuador | |||||||||
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1944–1960 | |||||||||
Motto: "Dios, patria y libertad" | |||||||||
Anthem: Mariano Suárez Veintimilla | |||||||||
• 1947-1948 | Carlos Julio Arosemena Tola | ||||||||
• 1948-1952 | Galo Plaza | ||||||||
• 1952-1956 | José María Velasco Ibarra | ||||||||
• 1956-1960 | Camilo Ponce Enríquez | ||||||||
Legislature | National Congress | ||||||||
History | |||||||||
• Established | 1 June 1944 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 31 August 1960 | ||||||||
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Today part of | Ecuador |
History of Ecuador |
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Ecuador portal |
This is a summary of the history of Ecuador from 1944–1960.
History
Galo Plaza differed from previous Ecuadorian presidents. Galo Plaza brought a developmentalist and technocratic emphasis to Ecuadorian government. No doubt Galo Plaza's most important contribution to Ecuadorian political culture was his commitment to the principles and practices of democracy. As president he managed to foment the agricultural exports of Ecuador during his government, creating economic stability. During his presidency, the 1949 Ambato earthquake severely damaged the city and surrounding areas and killed approximately 5,050 people. Unable to succeed himself, he left his office in 1952 as the first president in 28 years to complete his term in office.
A proof of the politically stabilizing effect of the banana boom of the 1950s is that even José María Velasco Ibarra, who in 1952 was elected president for the third time, managed to serve out a full four-year term. He continued to spend as before—building bridges, roads, and schools at will and rewarding his political supporters (including, this time, the military) with jobs, salary increases, and weapons—but, in contrast to his previous times in office, there were now sufficient funds to pay for everything.
Always the master populist, Velasco (who by now liked to be known as "the National Personification") again came to power with the support of the common man, this time through the vehicle of the Guayaquil-based
On repeated occasions, members of ARNE acted as thugs and shock troops, attacking students,
In 1956
Although Ponce did not enact the