Vice President Vacant Nationality Bolivian Religion Roman Catholicism Succeeded by Evo Morales | Preceded by Carlos Mesa Political party Independent Spouse Elena Arguedas Presidency end date January 22, 2006 | |
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Born March 2, 1956 (age 61)
Cochabamba, Bolivia ( 1956-03-02 ) Alma mater University of San Simón
Harvard University Presidential term 9 June 2005 – 22 January 2006 Education John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, University of San Simón Similar Evo Morales, Carlos Mesa, Jorge Quiroga | ||
Discurso por bolivia de eduardo rodr guez veltz ante cij en la haya
Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé (born March 2, 1956) is a former president of Bolivia; prior to that appointment he was the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
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Background
Born in Cochabamba in 1956, Rodríguez is a lawyer and holds a master's degree in public administration. He studied at Colegio San Agustín; later he studied law at the Universidad Mayor de San Simón in Cochabamba and obtained his Master of Public Administration at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Events of 2005
In 2005, after weeks of civil unrest led by Evo Morales, former president Carlos Mesa offered his resignation to Congress. After Hormando Vaca Diez and Mario Cossío, presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, respectively, were forced by protestors to decline the post, Rodríguez — as head of the judiciary and fourth in the line of succession — became the country's new president on June 10, 2005. Rodríguez was inaugurated with the constitutional mandate to call elections within one year's time.
Resignation and succession
Rodríguez's time in office ended with the inauguration of Evo Morales in January 2006, following the victory of Morales in the presidential election of the previous month.
Treason charges
Under the Morales administration, Rodriguez has been charged with treason following the decommissioning of missiles during his term in office. Bolivia bought about 30 HN-5 shoulder-launched missiles from China in 1993 or 1998. By 2005 they had become obsolete and Rodriguez made the decision to destroy them; he says he did not know the United States would be the ones to be given the missiles for destruction. Before taking office, Morales charged that the transfer amounted to putting the country "under foreign domination."
He was charged with treason in 2006, which carries a 30-year prison term. He has since been cleared of all charges.
ICJ
Rodríguez is an ambassador to the International Court of Justice.