Ibáñez, Carlos

Ibáñez (del Campo), Carlos

(born Nov. 3, 1877, Chillán, Chile—died April 28, 1960, Santiago) Chilean soldier and president (1927–31, 1952–58). After a 30-year military career, he helped overthrow Pres. Arturo Alessandri Palma in 1924 and effectively controlled Chile until 1931. Backed by the army, he exiled or jailed all opponents, but he failed in his attempt to rescue the ailing nitrate industry despite the help of U.S. capital. As the economy crumbled, discontent with Ibáñez's authoritarianism became overt, and he fled the country. After twice attempting to regain power with the help of Chilean fascists, he won the 1952 presidential election by appealing to depressed workers and proved to be a more democratic leader than expected. See also Juan Perón.