Alfredo Ovando
A Bolivian general who twice seized the presidency, navigating the turbulent 1960s and nationalizing the country's vital oil industry.
1918–1982 (age 64)·President of Bolivia (1965–1966, 1969–1970)·Birthday: April 6·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Alfredo Ovando Candia was a central figure in the chaotic military politics of 1960s Bolivia. A career army officer, he first ascended to power in 1965 as co-president in a junta with air force general René Barrientos, a partnership that reflected the divided loyalties within the armed forces. After Barrientos won an election and ruled alone, Ovando waited in the wings. He seized the presidency again in 1969 following Barrientos's death in a helicopter crash. His second term was marked by a sharp leftward turn, influenced by rising nationalist and socialist currents. His most decisive act was the 1969 nationalization of the Bolivian Gulf Oil Company, a popular move that reclaimed the country's prime natural resource from foreign control. However, unable to stabilize the economy or manage competing political pressures from left and right, his government grew increasingly shaky. He was ousted in a coup in 1970, another regime change in a decade defined by them.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Alfredo was born in 1918, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alfredo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1918
Alfredo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1918Born
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Started school
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1931Became a teenager
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Could drive
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1936Could vote
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Turned 21
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1948Turned 30
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 40
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 50
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 60
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1982Died at 64
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
Key Achievements
- Ordered the nationalization of the Bolivian Gulf Oil Company in 1969, a major assertion of economic sovereignty.
- Served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Bolivian Armed Forces, a position of key influence behind several governments.
- Ruled as co-president alongside René Barrientos from 1965 to 1966 during a period of military-led modernization.
- Assumed the presidency for a second time in 1969 after the death of President Barrientos.
Did You Know?
Before entering politics, he served as Bolivia's military attaché in Uruguay.
His 1969 coup that returned him to power was reportedly bloodless.
During his rule, Bolivia briefly hosted the guerrilla fighter Che Guevara's captured diaries before their publication.
He was a veteran of the Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay (1932-1935).
“The armed forces are the ultimate arbiter of national order and progress.”
