Enrique Echeverría

Visionary Bolivian entrepreneur who transformed transportation and education through railroads and universities.

Enrique Echeverría (1845–1912) was a Bolivian engineer and businessman who revolutionized his country's infrastructure. As president of the La Paz Railway Company, he constructed Bolivia's first major rail lines connecting highland cities like La Paz to the port of Mollendo in Peru. His 1890s projects enabled economic integration and agricultural exports. Beyond railways, he founded the Universidad Católica Boliviana in 1880, promoting higher education access. Echeverría also pioneered telegraph networks and mining innovations, leaving a lasting legacy in South American development. Explore his engineering impact at Bolivian History Archive.