José Tohá
Minister of National Defense
In office
28 January 1972  5 July 1973
PresidentSalvador Allende
Preceded byAlejandro Ríos Valdivia
Succeeded byClodomiro Almeyda
Minister of the Interior
In office
3 November 1970  22 January 1972
PresidentSalvador Allende
Preceded byPatricio Rojas
Succeeded byAlejandro Ríos Valdivia
Personal details
Born
José Tohá González

(1927-02-06)6 February 1927
Chillán, Chile
Died15 March 1974(1974-03-15) (aged 47)
Santiago, Chile
Cause of deathMurder by strangulation
Resting placeCementerio General de Santiago
Political partySocialist Party of Chile
Spouse
Victoria Morales Etchevers
(m. 1963)
ChildrenCarolina Tohá
Jose Tohá
RelativesJaime Tohá (brother)
Alma materUniversity of Chile
ProfessionLawyer

José Tohá González (February 6, 1927 – March 15, 1974) was a Chilean journalist, lawyer, and politician of the Socialist Party (PS).

Biography

Tohá was born in Chillán, the son of Spanish immigrant José Tohá Soldavilla and of Brunilda González Monteagudo. After completing his secondary studies in his natal city, he studied law at the Universidad de Chile. While there, he was president of the University of Chile Student Federation (FECh) between 1950–1951. In 1958, he joined the staff of the newspaper Última Hora, and in 1960 he became its editor and majority owner, a position he held until 1970.

In 1942, while still a high school student, Tohá joined the Socialist Party of Chile (PS). He rose to member of its Central Committee, and worked in all four of Salvador Allende's presidential campaigns in 1952, 1958, 1964 and 1970. As the first democratically elected socialist president, President Salvador Allende named Tohá his first Minister of the Interior and vice president, a position he held until he was accused by Congress of tolerating the creation of left-wing paramilitary organizations. Allende responded by naming him Minister of Defense, a deliberate challenge to his right-wing detractors. As such, Tohá had to deal with the Tanquetazo putsch, the first attempt at a military-led coup d'état, on 29 June 1973.

After his death, his wife and children lived in exile in Mexico City for several years. His family returned to Chile in the early 80's, where his wife worked in the resistance to the Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship.

Personal life

Tohá married Raquel Victoria Morales Etchevers (also known as Moy de Tohá) in 1963.

Additional information

Citations

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