View source for Benjamín Miguel Harb

'''Benjamín Miguel Harb''' (born October 18, 1926, [[La Paz]],<ref name="par"/> d. December 10, 2008, La Paz<ref name="sen"/>) was a [[Bolivia]]n politician and lawyer.<ref name="par">''Directorio: 1997 - 2002''. La Paz: Centro de Investigación del Congreso Nacional (CICON), 2002. p. 92</ref><ref name="ti">''[http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20081212/muere-el-constitucionalista-miguel-harb_27357_36287.html Muere el constitucionalista Miguel Harb] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229170939/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20081212/muere-el-constitucionalista-miguel-harb_27357_36287.html |date=February 29, 2012 }}''</ref>
Miguel Harb obtained a ''licenciatura'' in philosophy. He also obtained a post-graduate degree in international politics from the International University, [[Rome]], [[Italy]].<ref name="par"/>
In 1954 he took part in founding the [[Christian Democratic Party (Bolivia)|Christian Democratic Party]] (PDC). In 1962 he became a parliamentarian, elected as a PDC candidate. He would lead the party as its president between 1969 and 1978.<ref name="par"/>
He became the president of the National Social Security Fund in 1966. Between 1969 and 1971 he was the dean at the Faculty of Law, UMSA, La Paz. He was a ''docente'' at the Catholic University of Bolivia 1974-1975.<ref name="par"/>
He was detained in January 1974, after having criticized the economic policies of the military dictator [[Hugo Banzer]]. In May 1974, three months after he had been conditionally released from captivity, he was forcefully expelled from Bolivia and deported to [[Paraguay]].<ref name="ti"/><ref>''[http://www.cidh.org/annualrep/75sp/Bolivia1798.htm Caso No 1798 Bolivia] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609185756/http://www.cidh.org/annualrep/75sp/Bolivia1798.htm |date=June 9, 2011 }}''</ref>
Miguel Harb was the vice-presidential candidate of [[Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas]] in the [[1979 Bolivian presidential election|1979 elections]].<ref name="sen">''[http://www.eldiario.net/noticias/2008/2008_12/nt081212/2_02plt.php Senado rindió un homenaje póstumo a Benjamín Miguel]''</ref>
Miguel Harb served as a senator 1979 to 1980. He was again a parliamentarian between 1982 and 1989. Between 1982 and 1983 he was the mayor of La Paz. 1983 to 1984 he was the Minister Secretary of the Presidency.<ref name="par"/>
He served as an expert at the [[United Nations]] in the Commission of Crime Prevention and Penal Justice between 1987 and 1993.<ref name="par"/>
Miguel Harb returned to parliament in 1993, elected on behalf of the [[Nationalist Democratic Action|ADN]]-PDC alliance. He was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1997, through the [[proportional representation]] vote in [[La Paz Department, Bolivia|La Paz]] as a Christian Democratic Party candidate. His alternate was Fernando R. Rojas Alaiza.<ref name="par"/>
Miguel Harb died in December 2008 due to heart failure. Following his death the Senate of Bolivia decided unanimously to grant him its highest honour, the [[Banner of Gold]].<ref name="ti"/> The municipal council of La Paz decided to suspend all activities for three days in his honour.<ref name="sen"/>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
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[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:Mayors of places in Bolivia]]
[[Category:Members of the Senate of Bolivia]]
[[Category:Christian Democratic Party (Bolivia) politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Bolivia)]]