Tomás Frías

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Tomás Frías
17th President of Bolivia
In office 31 January 1874 – 4 May 1876 Acting: 31 January 1874 – 14 February 1874
Preceded by	Adolfo Ballivián
Succeeded by	Hilarión Daza
In office 28 November 1872 – 9 May 1873 Interim
Preceded by	Agustín Morales[a]
Succeeded by	Adolfo Ballivián
show Other offices Minister of Finance In office 22 January 1871 – 12 September 1871 President Agustín Morales Preceded by Manuel de la Lastra Succeeded by Juan José Ibarguen In office 9 September 1857 – 14 January 1861 President José María Linares Preceded by Succeeded by Juan José Ibarguen In office 6 December 1848 – 9 June 1849 President Manuel Isidoro Belzu Preceded by Andrés María Torrico Succeeded by Rafael Bustillo In office 23 December 1847 – 2 January 1848 President Eusebio Guilarte Preceded by Succeeded by Manuel José Asín In office 19 March 1844 – 17 August 1844 President José Ballivián Preceded by Manuel Molinas Succeeded by In office 18 October 1841 – 27 December 1841 President José Ballivián Preceded by Succeeded by Hilarión Fernandez Minister of Instruction and Foreign Affairs In office 28 November 1844 – 23 December 1847 President José Ballivián Preceded by Succeeded by Minister of Instruction In office 16 November 1839 – 16 November 1840 President José Miguel de Velasco Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Manuel Sánchez de Velasco
Personal details
Born	Tomás Frías Ametller (1804-12-21)21 December 1804 Potosí, Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata (now Bolivia)
Died	10 May 1884(1884-05-10) (aged 79) Florence, Kingdom of Italy
Spouse(s)	Raimunda Ballivián Guerra
Parents	José María Frías Alejandra Ametller
Education	University of Saint Francis Xavier
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Tomás Frías Ametller (21 December 1804 – 10 May 1884) was a Bolivian politician who served as the 17th president of Bolivia twice nonconsecutively from 1872 to 1873 and from 1874 to 1876.

Biography[]

Tomás Frías was born to a wealthy land-owning family in Potosí. Born 21 December 1804 Potosí, Bolivia

Political career[]

Frías was Minister of Foreign Relations of President José Ballivián (1841-1847) and a steadfast supporter of civilian rule and the primacy of laws. He was named President by Congress upon the death of dictator Agustín Morales in November 1872. His task was to call free elections as soon as possible. He did so, and in May 1873 transferred power to the winning candidate, Adolfo Ballivián, the son of the former President and war hero, José Ballivián. Unfortunately, Adolfo Ballivián soon fell ill with cancer and died in February 1874, after only nine months in office. At that point, Tomás Frías became President again by virtue of his being head of the Council of State, in accordance to the Constitution then in effect. As Ballivián's legal successor, his term in office was projected to run until 1877.

In 1874, the elderly president signed with Chile a treaty that freed all Chilean citizens and companies from any taxes for the exploitation of Bolivian resources in the Pacific coast. A reciprocal agreement liberated Bolivian concerns of similar taxes in Chile, but in reality the Chilean investment in the Bolivian Litoral was extensive while Bolivia's economic presence in Chile was negligible. For this reason, it is considered to be an agreement contrary to Bolivian interests. Its annulment by the successor government proved to be the touchstone of the disastrous War of the Pacific.

Despite the almost universal respect for the Frías government, this was still the era of the caudillos, and of military adventurism in politics. The president was overthrown in an 1876 coup led by General Hilarión Daza, and soon left the country.

Death and legacy[]

He died in Florence, Italy, in 1884. Tomás Frías Province and Tomás Frías Autonomous University are named after him.

References[]

Notes[]

Footnotes[]

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