1. Galo Lincoln Plaza Lasso de la Vega was an Ecuadorian statesman who served as President of Ecuador from 1948 to 1952 and Secretary General of the Organization of American States from 1968 to 1975.
13 Facts About Galo Plaza
1. 2.
Galo Plaza is the son of former Ecuadorian President Leonidas Plaza.
3.
In 1938, Galo Plaza was appointed the Minister of War of Ecuador.
4.
The son of former President Leonidas Galo Plaza, he had been born in the United States, where he attended several universities.
5.
Galo Plaza brought a developmentalist and technocratic emphasis to Ecuadorian government.
6.
Galo Plaza invited a wide variety of foreign experts in economic development and in governmental administration to recommend and catalog reforms in both areas.
7.
Galo Plaza endorsed such democratic guarantees as freedom of the press and the freedom of opponents to voice their opinions, to assemble for political purposes without fear of being jailed or worse, and to be elected to the legislature without fear of being defrauded or arbitrarily dismissed.
8.
Galo Plaza was able to create a mystique around the idea of his completing his term in office, something no president had accomplished since 1924, and this mystique no doubt helped him achieve his goal.
9.
Galo Plaza ran again in the election of 1960, but was defeated by Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra.
10.
Galo Plaza was a mediator in the conflicts in Lebanon, the Congo and Cyprus.
11.
Galo Plaza owned a large hacienda and cattle ranch Zuleta near Quito, where he customarily spent weekends throughout his four years as president.
12.
Galo Plaza died of a heart attack 28 January 1987 in a hospital in Quito.
13.
Galo Plaza was survived by his wife, Rosario Pallares, and his five daughters and one son.