Banzer attended military schools during his early years. In 1970 he gained power through a military coup against Juan José Torres. He resigned in 1978. In 1997, Banzer was elected back into office for five years. During this period, he launched a program for fighting drug-trafficking in Bolivia which called for the eradication of coca cultivation, a highly controversial strategy. In 2001, he was stricken by lung cancer; he resigned and was succeeded by the vice president, Jorge Quiroga[?]. Banzer died in 2002.
Note: In accordance with the rules of Spanish orthography, Banzer should be spelled Bánzer. But because Banzer was originally a German name, the a is not accented.
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