OTTO AROSEMENA GÓMEZ: BIOGRAPHY AND WORKS DURING HIS PRESIDENCY - HISTORY - 2025

Otto Arosemena Gómez (1925 - 1984) was an Ecuadorian politician and lawyer, thirty-second president of the Republic of Ecuador from November 1966 to September 1968.

Coming from a family with a clear political vocation, from a very young age he ventured into public life. His uncle was Carlos Julio Arosemena Tola, in addition, he was first cousin of Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy, both presidents of the Republic.

Unknown - Presidency of the Republic of Ecuador, via Wikimedia Commons

Although his (interim) presidential mandate lasted only two years, he was an important figure in the transition to democracy, and his government is remembered for its contribution to education, the development of telecommunications and the creation of various public works.

After handing over power democratically in 1968, he remained interested in political life and was an active participant in the National Congress of Ecuador. He was a professor and professor at the Catholic University of Guayaquil. He died at 58 from a heart condition.

Biography

Early years

Otto Arosemena Gómez was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on July 19, 1925. His parents were Luis Alberto Arosemena Tola and Mercedes Gómez Santistevan. His family was well known in Guayaquil and had a clearly political past.

His cousin and uncle were Presidents of the Republic. He attended San José de los Hermanos Cristianos Elementary School. For secondary education, he attended the Colegio Salesiano Cristóbal Colón and the Vicente Rocafuerte.

In 1947 he married Lucila Santos Trujillo, with whom he had three children: Otto Luis Arosemena Santos, Fabiola Lucila Arosemena Santos and María Auxiliadora Arosemena Santos.

He graduated as a lawyer from the University of Guayaquil in 1955. Arosemena was involved in political life from a young age. In 1951, at only 26 years old, he already belonged to the Electoral Tribunal of Guayas, which he would preside some time later.

Political career

In 1954 Arosemena Gómez was selected as a deputy by Guayas to the National Congress. From then on he began to quickly stand out in national politics. He was reelected in 1956, and in 1957 they appointed him president of the Chamber of Deputies.

Three years later, he was chosen as a Senator and a member of the Monetary Council by Congress. And in 1961, he was in charge of the Presidency of the Monetary Board and the Vice Presidency of the Senate.

He was an active dissident member of the military junta led by Rear Admiral Ramón Castro Jijón, who in 1963 overthrew the government of his cousin, Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy, due to his pro-Castro policies.

In 1965, in the midst of one of the worst times that Ecuador had to face, due to the excesses of the dictatorship, Arosemena Gómez founded a political party which he baptized as the Democratic Institutionalist Coalition, "CID".

The following year he held a chair in the Constituent Assembly, which was headed by interim president Clemente Yerovi. A few months later, that same body elected Otto Arosemena Gómez as president, on November 16, 1966.

Presidency

Maintaining the measures that Yerovi had established in his brief mandate, Arosemena attracted foreign capital and began important negotiations to bring the Republic of Ecuador to development.

Arosemena had praised Fidel Castro during his vice presidency, he had also been harshly criticized for a trip to the Soviet Union at the same time. For these reasons, and to dispel those who called her a communist, she appointed a cabinet that included politicians from various spheres, including liberals and conservatives.

In the years to come, however, he was blunt in his position in relation to the United States, which he criticized for their foreign policy in relation to Latin American countries.

He expressed his dissatisfaction with the Alliance for Progress program, a project through which the United States would offer assistance in different aspects to Latin American countries.

At a meeting of American Heads of State in Uruguay, held on April 14, 1967, he was the only one present who did not agree to stamp his signature on the "Declaration of the Presidents of America."

Achievements

His government excelled in the development of telecommunications infrastructure throughout the country. His program for the construction of schools in unfavorable sectors is considered by some critics as one of his greatest long-term contributions.

This period also stood out for having created the Ministry of Public Health. In Arosemena Gómez's time, the expansion of the Manta airport and the construction of the Unidad Nacional bridge were carried out.

The creation of the Ambato-Riobamba and El Empalme-Quevedo highways, the electrification of Santa Elena and Manabí, as well as the restoration of the Quito-Guayaquil railway were undertaken.

He did not have a long term in office, but he helped consolidate democracy in Ecuador and paved the way for the nation's development.

Adhering to current laws, elections were called in 1968, where José María Velasco Ibarra was democratically elected as the new President of the Republic. Arosemena ended his term on August 31, 1968.

Last years

After his mandate, he remained present in Ecuadorian politics and devoted himself to teaching. He has taught courses such as Political Geography or History in several institutions of secondary and higher education, among which are the State University of Guayaquil and the Catholic University of Guayaquil.

His management of the oil industry during his tenure was severely criticized, to which Arosemena responded with the publication of Infamy and truth. In these lines she defended the good name of her collaborators and the reason for their strategies.

He was a deputy in the National Congress until his last days and regularly attended sessions.

Death

Otto Arosemena Gómez died on April 20, 1984, at the age of 58. His death was the result of a heart condition. The former president was in the resort of Salinas, a city in the Province of Santa Elena in Ecuador.

Works in his presidency

- Creation of the Ministry of Public Health.

- Completion of the National Unity Bridge or Bridge Over the Guayas River.

- Expansion and completion of the Manta port works.

- Expansion and completion of the Ambato-Riobamba and Empalme-Quevedo highways.

- Electrification of Manabí and the Santa Elena Peninsula.

- Rehabilitation of the Quito-Guayaquil railway.

- Development of telecommunications and related infrastructure throughout the country.

References

1. Encyclopedia Of Ecuador. (2018). Arosemena Gómez Dr. Otto - Historical Characters - Encyclopedia Del Ecuador. Available at: encyclopediadelecuador.com.
2. En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Otto Arosemena. Available at: en.wikipedia.org.
3. Castellano, P. and Orero Sáez de Tejada, C. (2000). Espasa Encyclopedia. Madrid: Espasa, vol 2, pp. 954.
4. Presidencia.gov.ec. (2018). Presidency of the Republic - History of the Presidents - Otto Arosemena Gómez. Available at: presidencia.gov.ec.
5. Well, M. (2007). The Little Larousse Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary 2007. 13th ed. Bogotá (Colombia): Printer Colombiana, p.1128.