Background
Camilo Ponce Enríquez was born Born into a family of landowning elite in the sierra region on 31 January 1912 in Quito.
Camilo Ponce Enríquez was born Born into a family of landowning elite in the sierra region on 31 January 1912 in Quito.
Studied both in Ecuador and overseas he got his law degree from the Central University in Quito in 1938.
Ponce became a successful lawyer in Quito. At first active in the Conservative Party, in 1951 he led in the formation of the Social Christian Movement, a rightwing Christian Democratic party. During the third administration of José Maria Velasco Ibarra between 1952 and 1956, Ponce Enriquez served as minister of government. In the election at the end of the Velasco Ibarra regime, he enjoyed the president’s support and was elected by a narrow majority.
After leaving the presidency, Ponce Enriquez remained active in politics. He ran for the presidency again in 1968 but was badly defeated, again by Velasco Ibarra.
During his administration, President Ponce Enriquez broke with his patron, Velasco Ibarra, siding instead with the Conservatives. By the end of his term, differences between the two men were so great that Ponce Enriquez resigned one day before the end of his term to avoid turning the presidency over to Velasco Ibarra, who was elected to succeed him in 1960.
