Eusebio Guilarte Vera

Eusebio Guilarte Vera (1805 – 1849) was a Bolivian politician who served briefly as President of Bolivia from 1847-1848. A career military officer (not an uncommon choice at the time), Guilarte had combatted under Santa Cruz at Zepita, and also in the battles of the Confederation (Yanacocha and Uchumayo, among others). He had been José Ballivián's deputy aide at the Battle of Ingavi, for which he was rewarded as Ambassador to Brazil. Later, the President recalled Guilarte and appointed him a member of the powerful Council of State. Unable to sustain himself in power in light of the vast conspiracies of Manuel Belzu, Ballivián chose to leave the country and in late 1847 turned over power to General Guilarte as head of the Council of State. The fact is that by then the die was cast, as Belzu and his supporters were closing in on the capital. Guilarte's investiture simply provided cover for the President to get away while he could. Guilarte attempted to reach an understanding with the rebels, but was overthrown by Belzu in less than 2 weeks. Allowed to live under house arrest in internal exile at the Pacific port of Cobija, Litoral, Guilarte caught an illness and died less than 2 years later, in 1849.