Socialist Republic of Chile

Dávila was a member of the Government Junta of Chile that controlled Chile from June 4 to July 8, 1932, serving as president of the Government Junta from June 16. On July 8, Dávila dissolved the Government Junta and assumed power as "Provisional President of Chile", calling new congressional elections. He served as provisional President of Chile until September 13, one of six people during that year to lead the country as President of Chile and/or President of the Government Junta.

Professor, journalist and international public service

In 1933, Dávila was visiting professor of international law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, under the auspices of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Later he came to the United States and was associated for many years with the Editors Press Service, and acted as correspondent for numerous important South American newspapers. In 1941 he received the Maria Moors Cabot Award from Columbia University for his distinguished journalistic contribution in the service of the Americas. A prolific writer, Dávila is the author of "We of the Americas", published in 1949 and has contributed many analytical studies on politics and economics to leading American publications.

Dávila served on the Council of United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration from 1943 to 1946, and was Chilean representative to the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee in 1940. In the same year, he became the author of the "Dávila plan", which created the Inter-American Development Commission, which became the Inter-American Council for Integral Development within the Organization of American States, when that body was created in 1948. In 1946, he served as a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

Having contributed to the founding of the OAS, Dávila was chosen, in August 1954, as its secretary general.