Luis Conrado Batlle y Berres (26 November 1897 – 15 July 1964) was a Uruguayan politician who was President of Uruguay from 1947 to 1951.
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.
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 Mac Entyre, 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, José Batlle y Ordóñez, the three-time President of Uruguay, and his cousins César, Rafael and Lorenzo Batlle Pacheco on the Piedras Blancas estate in the suburbs of Montevideo. He studied law at the urging of his godfather, Dr. José Irureta Goyena, and also Military Aviation. In 1933, he was expelled from Uruguay by the Terra dictatorship, and participated in the revolutionary preparations of 1934 and 1935, entering the country clandestinely. In 1936 Batlle Berres returned legally and bought Radio "Ariel". He also became Editor-in-Chief of El Día.Bases N° 7 EL NEO BATLLISMO 1947 1958, P.9
In 1927, he married Matilde Ibáñez Tálice, with whom he had three children: the also ex president Jorge Batlle,"Matilde Ibáñez died". EL PAIS. 5 September 2002. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. (in Spanish) concert pianist Luis Batlle and daughter Matilde Linda Batlle.The Day 1 Dec 1955
Batlle Berres was first elected to the Chamber of Representatives in 1925 as a member of Jose Batlle's personal list and was reelected in 1928, with the list this time headed by Jose Batlle himself. In 1931, Batlle Berres was again reelected, this time within the dual lists "14" and "15", but following the Terra coup of 1933 he didn't seek office until 1942.Taylor, Philip B. Jr. (1960). Tulane Studies in Political Science Volume VII, Government and Politics of Uruguay. Tulane University, p. 193 He was also the leader of List 15, a left-leaning factionArea Handbook for Uruguay by Thomas E. Weil, p. 215 which was the majority faction of the Colorado Party from 1946 to about 1960. It placed second in the 1966 elections, but regained its majority position by 1970. Jorge Batlle, the son of Luis Batlle Berres, led the faction after his father died in 1964.Area Handbook for Uruguay by Thomas E. Weil, p. 219 According to one study, Batlle Berres was a strong-willed executive "who incurred wide criticism for employing his exalted office to advance his own interests." In 1950, he split the Colorado Party by deciding to offer his own ticket under a separate election list. This led to the emergence of his own List 15 faction, and the List 14 faction, led by the Batlle Pacheco brothers.The Latin American Nations Today A Study of Political Developments Since World War II By Raymond Estep, 1964, p. 244 In 1948, he founded in Montevideo the newspaper Acción, which he made the mouthpiece of his political faction."Luis Batlle Berres Dead at 66; Former President of Uruguay; Party Leader and Journalist Opposed Strong Man Rule – Visited U.S. in 1955", New York Times Commenting on his decision to set up his own newspaper, Batlle Berres humorously told a newsman that "I’ll have a paper in which to say good things about my government and bad things about some other people."Toledo Blade 27 Jan 1949
Batlle Berres faced criticism, launched by some sectors of his party, for proclaiming himself the heir of Batllismo. As noted by one biography, "The opposition was led by César and Lorenzo Batlle Pacheco, sons of José Batlle, who believed that they were the true heirs of Batllismo, although in practice they were much more conservative than their cousin and president."Fernández, Tomás and Tamaro, Elena. Biography of Luis Batlle Berres. In Biographies and Lives. The online biographical encyclopedia [Internet]. Barcelona, Spain, 2004. Available in https://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/b/batlle_berres.htm Commenting on the differences between Batlle Berres and César and Lorenzo Batlle Pacheco, one study argued that
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.
Batlle Berres was the fourth person to hold the office of Vice President of Uruguay. The office dates from 1934, when Alfredo Navarro became Uruguay's first Vice President. He previously served as the President of the Chamber of Deputies of Uruguay from 1943 to 1945.
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. In this first period of Presidential office, the Vice President of Uruguay was Alfeo Brum.
According to one article at the time, presidential responsibilities came easily to Batlle Berres due to his background:
Various reforms were introduced during the Batlle Berres presidency. Law 10937 of September 1947 extended "in favor of the machinists, stokers and drivers of cars-motors of the Administration of the Railways and Tramways of the Condition; machinists and stokers of the Directorates of Hydrography, Sanitation and Roads of the Ministry of Public Works and machinists, stokers, high voltage panel personnel and boiler repair personnel of the State Electric Power Plants, the benefits that Law number 9,700, of dated September 17, 1937, agrees to the machinists and stokers who provide services in private companies."Ley N° 10937 CAJA DE JUBILACIONES Y PENSIONES DE EMPLEADOS Y OBREROS DE SERVICIOS PUBLICOS. BENEFICIOS JUBILATORIOS Law 10,997 of December 1947 amended a previous social law (Law 10,436 of July 1943) in various ways, with certain amounts allocated for purposes related to maternity, child welfare and nutrition.Ley N° 10436 FONDO DE ASISTENCIA Y PREVISION SOCIAL. CREACION Under Law 10960 the Bank of the Republic "is empowered to grant the dependent workers of the National Cooperative of Milk Producers, bank loans on their salaries and wages, in accordance with the provisions established in the law of November 21, 1941, extended by that of May 24, 1946."Ley N° 10960 BANCO DE LA REPUBLICA ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY (BROU). COOPERATIVA NACIONAL DE PRODUCTORES DE LECHE. PRESTAMOS
Law 10949 of October 1947 authorized the Banco de la República "to extend the benefits of the operations "Loans on salaries", to the members of the Caja de Retirements of "Journalists and Graphics", which appear in the personnel of the houses where they provide services, as receiving their salaries on a daily basis. However, the other requirements imposed by the National Savings and Discount Fund for this type of operations must be fulfilled."Ley N° 10949 BANCO DE LA REPUBLICA ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY (BROU). AUTORIZACION. PRESTAMOS Under Law 10999 of December 1947, a law on retirement benefits, "The benefit agreed by article 3 of Law number 10,014 is extended to the teaching staff of Physical Education throughout the country."Ley N° 10999 CAJA DE JUBILACIONES Y PENSIONES CIVILES. CAJA ESCOLAR. BENEFICIOS JUBILATORIOS Under a law promulgated on December the 4th 1947, a housing finance section was established in the Mortgage Bank of Uruguay. Authorized to act independently of the other economic and financial divisions of the Bank, the new section was intended "to aid in the solution of Uruguay's critical housing problem by loaning money for the acquisition, construction, and improvement of living quarters." This new section also had the right to acquire land "by mutual agreement or by expropriation, to subdivide it, and to build dwellings for sale or for rent."Bulletin of the Pan American Union, July 1948, p. 149
A land reform law of 1948Legislación sobre acceso a la tierra en el Uruguay1 Pablo Díaz sought to increase and improve agricultural production and improve the living conditions of rural workers.The Agriculture of Uruguay by Constance Helen Farnworth, 1952, p. 59 Under the law, a National Colonization Institute was set up, "to function as an autonomous body with full authority and adequate resources for buying, renting, or expropriating land, and organizing colonies of either Uruguayans or immigrants, or both." Preference under the law was to be given to evicted farmers, those with special skills, sons of colonists, and those organized in syndicates and cooperatives. It was also expected that consumers' and buyers' cooperatives would be organized in each colony, and that the State would provide "land, credit, and technical assistance, and assume the responsibility of building roads, schools, hospitals, and community centers, as well as industrial plants for processing agricultural products."Foreign Crops and Markets Volume 56 1948, p. 319 Ley 11052 of 1948 provided for an increase "in the sum of two hundred seventy thousand pesos ($270,000.00) the "Public Works Debt 5% 1940" created by law number 9,953, of 4 September 1940, allocating said amount for the completion of the construction works of the San José Hospital." A new rental regime was provided by Ley 11229 of 1948, while another law introduced in 1948 contained various provisions in regards to the sale and production of milk.Ley N° 11030 Comercio. Leche That same year, a Psychopath Trust was set up with the aim of providing a solution to the family situation of mentally ill patients.EL CAMBIO EN EL PERFIL EPIDEMIOLOGICO (1936 - 1955)
Law 11024 authorized the Executive Power "to take from "Exchange Differences", the amount equivalent to one million dollars (U$S 1:000.00.00) as contribution of the Republic to the International Relief Fund for Childhood, created by resolution of the General Assembly of the Organization United Nations, 11 December 1946." In 1948, pensions were introduced for the Jockey Club (part-time) and health benefits established for 2 new groups (Congress and state bank).Significant Social Security Legislation in Uruguay: 1829–1972 In 1949 the budget for school canteens and milk was increased, while new classes for children with hearing and sight defects were brought within the framework of special education.International yearbook of education, v. 11, 1949 In regards to housing, a 1949 law was approved "granting special facilities to employees of the BHU."A Century of Social Welfare in Uruguay Growth to the Limit of the Batllista Social State Issue 5 By Fernando Filgueira, 1995, p. 20 A Decree concerning Measures for the Prevention of Accidents to Workers Engaged in the Unloading of Coal and Salt dated 28 July 1949 "provides for the use of hooks with safety catches for all lifting equipment used in the unloading of coal and salt and for the blocking of trucks while salt is being unloaded. It also requires workers to use safety belts when they are at the top of hoppers."Industrial Safety Survey, Volume XXVI, 1950 Law 11388 of 1949 provided for a subsidy to paid to the National Work for the Protection and Education of Mentally Abnormal Minors (Obra Morquio), which was intended to provide "medical-pedagogical assistance to at least 180 mentally abnormal children, regardless of any philosophical, political or religious proselytism." A law of December the 5th 1949 authorized compensation for farmers damaged by hail.Legislative Information Volumes 1–2 By Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Legislative Service, 1950, p. 170 Under Law 11,563 of 1950 "Facilities for the acquisition, construction, expansion and tax relief of housing are given to certain officials of the National Postal Savings Fund, the General Post Office and the Legislative Branch, with rules for carrying out operations."