JUAN ESTEBAN MONTERO: BIOGRAPHY, GOVERNMENT, WORKS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Juan Esteban Montero was a Chilean politician who held the presidency of the Chilean Republic in the period 1931-1932. His mandate occurred within the historical period from 1925 to 1973, which was known as the Presidential Republic.

This period began with the promulgation of the Constitution of the Republic in 1925 until the coup d'etat of General Augusto Pinochet in 1973. This entire historical period was characterized by high political instability.

In 1931, Juan Esteban Moreno was Minister of the Interior. Then, Carlos Ibáñez del Campo resigned as president of the republic. Ibáñez del Campo had been elected to govern in the period 1927 to 1931.

Therefore, the president of the Senate, Pedro Opazo Letelier, took his place as interim president. At the same time, Opazo Letelier appointed Esteban Moreno as interim vice president.

Just days after the appointments, the newly appointed interim president resigned. Consequently, Juan Esteban Moreno had to assume the presidency on an interim basis.

Esteban Moreno immediately resigned and called elections. He won, but his government was considered weak and inefficient. Then, he was deposed by a coup in 1932.

Biography

the beginning

Juan Esteban Moreno Rodríguez was born in Santiago on February 12, 1879. His parents were Benjamín Montero and Eugenia Rodríguez.

As for his studies, he started them in a public school. Later, he entered the San Ignacio school and, later, the University of Chile. There he obtained his law degree on September 16, 1901.

After graduation, he took a position as professor of civil and Roman law at the same university where he graduated. Simultaneously, he worked as a government attorney and privately.

Juan Esteban Moreno married Graciela Fehrman Martínez, and together they had three children: Juan Esteban, Benjamin and Carmen.

Political career

Montero was a militant of the Radical party. With this party he made his entire political career. In 1925, he was part of the team that prepared the convocation for the Constituent Assembly that reformed the Constitution.

Then, in 1931, he accepted the nomination for minister of the interior made by President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo. Several resignations took him that same year to the interim presidency of the republic.

Then, the Liberal and Conservative parties and his own party, the Radical, nominated him for the presidential elections. He won these elections with more than 60% of the votes, in a clear sign of the popular support he had.

Presidency of the Republic

Juan Esteban Montero took office on November 15, 1931. He began his duties within a climate of political and economic chaos.

In this sense, the cause of this conflict was, mainly, the world market crash of 1929 that still affected Chile.

Despite popular support, his political adversaries distrusted his ability to solve the economic problems the country was facing.

Among others, it had to solve the high unemployment rate, the high cost of living and the paralysis of the nitrate works. Excessive public spending and the fiscal disorder of previous governments had led the country to this situation.

Simultaneously with the start of the government of Juan Esteban Montero, the intrigues and conspiracies of rival political groups began.

These movements began to become evident in December 1931 with an uprising in northern Chile.

In June 1932, the military coup took place. The legally constituted government is replaced by a governing council headed by General Arturo Puga. Montero surrendered power and went into exile with his family in Argentina.

Death

During the second presidency of Arturo Alessandri, Montero returned from exile. He then dedicated himself to his family life and resumed his academic career as a university professor. He also held some public positions.

At the age of 69, on February 25, 1948, Juan Esteban Montero died in Santiago. He was buried in the General Cemetery of Santiago.

government

Political stabilization

The government developed by Montero Rodríguez was a stabilization government. During the period prior to his election (even during his mandate), the Chilean state showed operational disorder.

The number of presidents who were in office and the coups that took place in the previous years (1924-1931) indicate the degree of disorder. The brevity of the mandates was proportional to the advance of the economic crisis.

By the time of his election, the political groups that supported him relied on his rectitude and probity to bring order to the presidency.

In fact, it was his government actions that unmasked the shortcomings of previous governments.

After the period of Juan Esteban Moreno, and despite the fact that he was deposed by a coup, a progressive process of decline of anarchy began.

After his resignation, a period of institutional recovery began in the southern nation that lasted from 1932 to 1973.

Unpopular measures

The unbridled public spending of governments before Montero's was the main cause of the fragile economic situation inherited by his government. Consequently, as a first measure, it implemented an austerity policy.

Unfortunately, this austerity collided with ministry spending that people were used to.

Previous populist policies were affected, and that began to cause discomfort in the population.

Plots and conspiracies

The fiscal discipline measures taken by the Montero government were the excuse that his political enemies (representatives of unions, employee associations and some military) took to conspire.

However, the government took measures to counteract these movements and some groups and personalities (civilian and military) were neutralized.

Despite this, the conspiracy continued until Juan Esteban Montero was forced to resign as president.

Plays

The socioeconomic problem inherited by Montero was of such magnitude that it forced his minister of social welfare to declare it in October 1932.

In this declaration, the minister accepted the existence of an appreciable number of people affected by poverty and unemployment.

In this statement, he even accepted that the government was not being successful in solving these problems. For this reason, the government saw the need to take palliative measures.

Aid for the unemployed

With the help of charities, a program was established to supply food for the unemployed. Groups of volunteers visited house to house offering food to the families of unemployed workers.

Donation of salaries and tax incentives

This program was given at the level of public employees. They could help by donating a day of their salary to serve the unemployed.

Also, another form of aid was the donation to the State of jewels and valuables in exchange for a reduction in taxes.

Creation of relief houses

At the government's expense, a committee to help the unemployed was created to set up and operate relief houses. Through them, it was sought to reduce begging in the street.

Creation of the International Exchange Control Commission

By creating this commission, it was sought to avoid the decrease in the Central Bank's reserves. The mechanism implemented was to adjust imports to the availability of bills of exchange.

Simultaneously, the measure was taken to suspend the issuance of banknotes. The Central Bank began to set the exchange rate day by day. The calculation used was based on the average of the transactions carried out.

References

1. Silva Alvarez, P. (2014, April 15). The Socialist Republic in Chile (1932). Taken from patricioalvarez70.wordpress.com.
2. Library of the National Congress of Chile (s / f). Period 1925 -1973. Deepening and crisis of democracy. Taken from bcn.cl.
3. Revolvy. (s / f). Juan Esteban Montero. Taken from revolvy.com.
4. Biography of Chile. (s / f). History of Chile: Biographies. Juan Esteban Montero Rodríguez: 1879-1948. Taken from biografiadechile.cl.
5. Icronox. (s / f). Presidents of Chile and Heads of State from 1826 to 2022. Taken from icronox.com.
6. Barros, M. (1970). Diplomatic history of Chile (1541-1938). Santiago: Andrés Bello.