Manfred Reyes Villa
Bolivian politician (born 1955)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manfred Armando Antonio Reyes Villa Bacigalupi (born 19 April 1955) is a Bolivian politician, businessman, and former military officer. He was the mayor of the city of Cochabamba[1] from 1994 to 2000, and became the elected Prefect of the Department of Cochabamba from 2006 until 2008 when he was recalled in that year's no confidence referendum.[2][3]
Terceros Rojas (interim)
Manfred Reyes Villa | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Reyes Villa in 2023 | |
| Mayor of Cochabamba | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Ivan Tellería (interim) |
| In office 10 January 1994 – 24 April 2000 | |
| Preceded by | Humberto Coronel Rivas |
| Succeeded by | Gonzalo Gabriel Terceros Rojas (interim) |
| Prefect of Cochabamba | |
| In office 23 January 2006 – 10 August 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Walter Céspedes Ramallo |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Puente (interim) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Manfred Armando Antonio Reyes Villa Bacigalupi 19 April 1955 La Paz, Bolivia |
| Party | APB Súmate (2024–present) |
Other political affiliations | |
| Spouse | Patricia Avilés |
| Children | 7 |
| Parents |
|
| Education | Military College of the Army |
| Website | Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Bolivia |
| Branch |  Bolivian Army |
Service years | 1977–1986 |
| Rank | Captain |
Early life
Villa was born on 19 April 1955 in La Paz, Bolivia.[4] Villa is the son of Armando Reyes Villa, who was the Minister of Defense during Luis García Meza's dictatorship.[5] From February to April 1976, he attended courses at the School of the Americas as a cadet in Combat Arms Basic C-2.[5]
Afterwards, he became a military attaché at the Bolivian embassies in Brazil and the United States, and was an aide to Luis García Meza.[6] According to the newspaper Hoy, Villa was involved in the Harrington Street Massacre of 1981, where eight members of the MIR-NM were killed.[6] He retired from the military in 1986 and settled in the United States, where he pursued a career in business administration and became Vice President of the Crawford International Silver Spring in Maryland.[7]
Political career
Villa returned soon after to Bolivia in the early 1990s to join the Nationalist Democratic Action.[7] Eventually, he convinced the party to establish an alliance with the center-left Free Bolivia Movement.[7] In 1992, he assumed the vice-presidency of the Municipal Council of Cochabamba, before being elected mayor of the city the following year.[8]
He was an unsuccessful candidate for president in both 2002 and 2009, being the runner-up in the latter. In 2009, he relocated to the United States, living in Miami for nearly 10 years.[9]
Reyes Villa successfully ran for mayor of Cochabamba once again in the 2021 Bolivian regional elections, winning with 55% of the popular vote.[10][11]