Guillermo Billinghurst

Guillermo Billinghurst
37th President of Peru
In office
24 September 1912 – 4 February 1914
Prime MinisterElías Malpartida
Enrique Varela Vidaurre
Federico Luna y Peralta
Aurelio Sousa Matute
Vice PresidentRoberto Leguía
Miguel Echenique
Preceded byAugusto B. Leguía
Succeeded byÓscar R. Benavides
President of the Senate
In office
28 July 1896 – 28 July 1897
Preceded byManuel Pablo Olaechea
Succeeded byManuel Candamo
First Vice President of Peru
In office
8 September 1895 – 8 September 1899
PresidentNicolás de Piérola
Preceded byVacant (Last held by César Canevaro in 1895)
Succeeded byIsaac Alzamora
Senator from Tacna
In office
28 July 1895 – 28 July 1899
Preceded byManuel Pablo Olaechea
Succeeded byManuel Candamo
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
28 July 1878 – 28 July 1880
ConstituencyTarapacá Province
Personal details
Born
Guillermo Enrique Billinghurst Angulo

(1851-07-27)27 July 1851
Arica, Peru
Died28 June 1915(1915-06-28) (aged 63)
Iquique, Chile
Political partyDemocratic Party of Peru
RelativesSusana Ferrari Billinghurst (cousin)
ProfessionEntrepreneur

Guillermo Enrique Billinghurst Angulo (27 July 1851, Arica – 28 June 1915, Iquique) was a Peruvian politician of English descent who served as the 37th President of Peru. He succeeded Augusto B. Leguía, from 1912 to 1914. An Anglo-Peruvian, Billinghurst's surname is a locational name; Billinghurst is a parish in Sussex, England.

During his presidency, Billinghurst became embroiled in an increasingly bitter series of conflicts with Congress, a liberal, he proposed and attempted to pass an advanced social legislation in favour of the working-classes. This was blocked by the conservative and oligarchic factions in the Peruvian Congress, whereupon Billinghurst attempted to call fresh elections. Whereupon these same Conservative factions now called upon the Peruvian military led by Óscar R. Benavides, to carry out a coup d'état. As a result of the coup, which resulted in Benavides becoming President, Billinghurst was sent into exile in Chile where he died shortly thereafter.