Quick Facts
Biography
Luis Conrado Batlle y Berres (26 November 1897 – 15 July 1964) was a Uruguayan political figure.
Background
Batlle Berres was a journalist and prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party. He was selected — in hindsight, with far-reaching effect — to serve as Vice Presidential running-mate for Luis Tomás Berreta.
Vice President of Uruguay
He served as Vice President of Uruguay in 1947, succeeding Alberto Guani and held this office upon the death of President Berreta.
Historical note
Batlle Berres was the fourth person to hold the office of Vice President of Uruguay. The office dates from 1934, when César Charlone became Uruguay's first Vice President.
President of Uruguay (1st period of office)
He was President of Uruguay from 1947 to 1951, being succeeded in the office by Andrés Martínez Trueba.
Within the Colorado Party, he is now widely acknowledged for being the founder of the political branch known as Neo-Batllism. In this first period of Presidential office, the Vice President of Uruguay was Alfeo Brum.
President of Uruguay (2nd period of office)
Batlle Berres was President of the National Council of Government of Uruguay from 1955 to 1956. Batlle thus both preceded and succeeded Andrés Martínez Trueba as President.
Background
The great great grandson of Catalan settlers from Sitges, Spain, he was the son of another political figure, Luis Batlle y Ordóñez, brother of ex president José Batlle. His mother, Petrona Berres, was of Irish descent and died when he was still a small child. Then, his father remarried but died soon after, in 1908. As a result, he went to live with his uncle and his cousins in a farm in the suburbs of Montevideo.
In 1927, he married Matilde Ibáñez Tálice, with whom he had three children: the also ex president Jorge Batlle, concert pianist Luis Batlle and Matilde Linda Batlle, the latter born in Argentina.
He was a member of the Colorado Party.