Eduardo Diez de Medina

Eduardo Diez de Medina (1881-1955) Born in La Paz. Bolivian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship (1923, 1925, 1936-39). Signer on July 9th, 1925 of the Carillo-Diez de Medina treaty with Argentine representative Horacio Carillo, which settled a long border dispute between Argentina and Bolivia. Negotiated with U.S. Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg a plan to grant Bolivia the city of Arica thereby granting it access to the sea. The plan, which was to result from an American mediation between Peru and Chile, failed due to a change in U.S. foreign policy following the election of president Herbert Hoover. Also enacted together with Peruvian emissary M. Elias Bonemaison the Treaty of September 23rd 1902 which demarcated the border between Bolivia and Peru. Served as Latin American Liason to the League of Nations.

In 1941 Diez de Medina fell out of favor amidst a Jingoistic political climate when he voluntarily submitted himself to trial after he was accused of selling life-saving Bolivian visas to up to 15,000 jews in Berlin, Warsaw, Kaunas and Stockholm. Over 1,000 blank immigration permits were found for distribution in Warsaw, Hamburg, Genoa and Paris.

References

http://www.argentina-rree.com/7/7-069.htm

http://www.rree.gov.bo/ministerio/Ministros.htm

http://www.boliviaweb.com/mar/capitulo11.htm

http://www.rree.gob.pe/portal/pexterior.nsf/0/71678f6d2373afad05256c5b0076c3bc?OpenDocument

TIME Magazine, Dec. 30th, 1940.