Juan Lindolfo de los Reyes Cuestas (6 January 1837 – 21 June 1905) was a Uruguayan politician who served as the 18th President of Uruguay from 1897 until 1899 and for a second term from 1899 to 1903.

Juan Lindolfo Cuestas
18th President of Uruguay
In office
March 1, 1899 – March 1, 1903
Preceded byJosé Batlle y Ordóñez (Acting)
Succeeded byJosé Batlle y Ordóñez
President of Uruguay
De facto
In office
August 25, 1897 – February 5, 1899
Acting: August 25, 1897 – February 10, 1898
Preceded byJuan Idiarte Borda
Succeeded byJosé Batlle y Ordóñez (Acting)
1st Minister of Justice, Worship and Public Instruction
In office
1884–1886
PresidentMáximo Santos
Succeeded byAureliano Rodríguez Larreta
34th and 38th Minister of Finance
In office
1880–1882
PresidentFrancisco Antonino Vidal
Preceded byJuan Peñalva
Succeeded byJosé Ladislao Terra
In office
1875–1876
PresidentPedro Varela
Preceded byJosé Cándido Bustamante
Succeeded byJuan Andrés Vázquez
Personal details
Born(1837-01-06)6 January 1837
Paysandú, Uruguay
Died21 June 1905(1905-06-21) (aged 68)
Paris, France
Political partyColorado Party
SpouseÁngela Fernández González

Background

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Juan Lindolfo Cuestas was a prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party, which dominated the country's politics for over a century. He was Minister of Finance from 1875 to 1876 and from 1880 to 1882. He served as Minister of Justice and Education from 1884 to 1886.

His son, Juan Cuestas, was a diplomat.

President of Uruguay

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First term

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Lindolfo Cuestas first assumed the Presidency in crisis circumstances .[1] On August 25, 1897 the sitting President of Uruguay, Juan Idiarte Borda was assassinated by a gunman, Avelino Arredondo. Lindolfo Cuestas as the President of the Senate of Uruguay became president.[2]

Within two years Lindolfo Cuestas had ceded the Presidency to José Batlle y Ordóñez on an interim basis.

Second term

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He soon reassumed the office, however, and served until 1903, when he again stepped down in favour of José Batlle y Ordóñez.

Political background

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Lindolfo Cuestas's periods of Presidential office were characterized by crises, not only originating from the assassination of Idiarte, but also by internal dissension within the Colorado Party and by strife with the Opposition Blanco Party, which continued to propel the country into outbreaks of the intermittent Civil War which beset Uruguay throughout the mid- to late- 19th century.

In 1898, as noted by one study, Cuestas “dissolved the chambers that had been elected with notorious vices of fraud. By dissolving the chambers, he convenes a state council with legislative powers and with representatives of the three parties that were active at that time: Colorado, national and constitutional. This state council approved an electoral reform that gave representation to minorities and mandated the formation of the permanent Civic Registry.” [3]

Post presidency

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After relinquishing the Presidency for the second time, in 1903, the country soon slipped into civil war, the decisive battle of which was the Battle of Masoller in 1904. Lindolfo Cuestas died in 1905.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 'Juan Lindolfo Cuestas', Wikipedia (in Spanish), es:Juan Lindolfo Cuestas,
  2. ^ PRESIDENCIA DE LA ASAMBLEA GENERAL Y DEL SENADO PRESIDENCIA DE LA CAMARA DE REPRESENTANTES (October 29, 2013). "Parlamentarios Uruguayos 1830-2005" (PDF). www.parlamento.gub.uy. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 29, 2013.
  3. ^ BATLLE Y ORDOÑEZ GOBERNANTE 1898 – 1929 Guía de contenidos, P.1
Political offices
Preceded by President of Uruguay
1897–1899
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of Uruguay
1899–1903
Succeeded by