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 Hugo Banzer Suárez President of Bolivia | |
| First term | 22 August 1971 to 1978 |
| – Preceded by | Juan José Torres Gonzáles |
| – Succeeded by | Juan Pereda Asbún David Padilla Arancibia |
| Second term | 6 August 1997 to 2001 |
| – Preceded by | Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (first term) |
| – Succeeded by | Jorge Quiroga Ramírez |
| Date of birth | 10 May, 1926 |
| Place of birth | Concepción, Santa Cruz |
| Date of death | 5 May 2002 |
| Place of death | Santa Cruz |
| First Lady | |
| Party | military, ADN |
Hugo Banzer Suárez (May 10, 1926 – May 5, 2002) was a Bolivian soldier and politician. He served as president on two occasions: from 1971 to 1978, and from 1997 to 2001.
Banzer attended military schools during his early years. He took part in a coup d'état. Juan José Torres, a leftist, made a countercoup and Banzer fled. In 1970, he came to power through a military coup against the president, Juan José Torres. He resigned in 1978.
In 1997, Banzer was elected back into office for five years, representing the ADN party (Acción Democrática Nacionalista). During this period, he launched, under the auspices the United States, a program for fighting drug-trafficking in Bolivia which called for the eradication of coca, a highly controversial strategy. In 2001, he was stricken by lung cancer; he resigned and was succeeded by the vice president, Jorge Quiroga. Banzer died in 2002.
Note: In accordance with the rules of Spanish orthography, Banzer should be spelled Bánzer. But because Banzer was originally a German name, the a is not accented.