Juan Antonio Rios Morales (10 November 1888-27 June 1946) was President of Chile from 2 April 1942 to 27 June 1946, succeeding Jeronimo Mendez and preceding Alfredo Duhalde. He was a member of the Radical Party of Chile.
Biography[]
Juan Antonio Rios Morales was born in Canete, Chile on 10 November 1888, and he became a lawyer in 1914. He became a member of the conservative wing of the Radical Party of Chile while in primary school, and he campaigned for Arturo Alessandri in 1920. Rios was elected a deputy in 1924, and he supported the 1932 coup against Juan Esteban Montero and served as Interior Minister for President Carlos Davila. He won the 1942 presidential election as the head of a left-wing coalition, and he portrayed himself as a conservative and anti-fascist candidate, opposing Carlos Ibanez del Campo. Rios chose neutrality during World War II and did not break off relations with the Axis Powers, and he failed to protect workers' rights, leading to labor unrest. He faced opposition from his own coalition, including his own party, and he died of cancer in 1946 while still serving as President.