Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes
Encyclopedia
General José Miguel Ramón Ydígoras Fuentes (1895 Retalhuleu
– 1982 Guatemala City
) was President of Guatemala
from 2 March 1958 to 31 March 1963. He took power following the murder of Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas
.
In the 1950 election
, Ydígoras had been the main opponent of Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán
and finished runner-up with nearly 19% of the vote. In 1957, following the assassination of Castillo Armas, elections
were held in which Ydígoras and his party, the National Democratic Reconciliation Party
, finished runner-up in a blatantly rigged election. Another election in 1958
saw Ydígoras win, considered to have represented the more moderate of the anti-Communist "right" factions.
In response to his autocratic rule and his close ties to the United States, a group of junior army officers led a rebellion in 1960. Although the rebellion was successfully put down, the surviving officers went into hiding and formed the Revolutionary Movement 13th November
, marking the start of a 36-year guerrilla war.
Ydígoras Fuentes was eventually overthrown in a coup by his own defense minister Colonel Enrique Peralta Azurdia
(with the backing of opposition parties) to end the possibility of a return of former left-of-center civilian president Juan José Arévalo
in the upcoming elections.
Retalhuleu
The city of Retalhuleu is in south-western Guatemala. It is the departmental seat of Retalhuleu department as well as the municipal seat of Retalhuleu municipality....
– 1982 Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
) was President of Guatemala
President of Guatemala
The title of President of Guatemala has been the usual title of the leader of Guatemala since 1839, when that title was assumed by Mariano Rivera Paz...
from 2 March 1958 to 31 March 1963. He took power following the murder of Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas
Carlos Castillo Armas
Carlos Castillo Armas was a Guatemalan Colonel who came to power in a CIA-orchestrated coup in 1954. He held the title of President of Guatemala from July 8, 1954 until his assassination in 1957.-The coup:...
.
In the 1950 election
Guatemalan presidential election, 1950
Presidential elections were held in Guatemala between 10 and 12 November 1950. The result was a victory for Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, who received 65.44% of the vote. Voter turnout was 71.62%.-Results:-Biboliography:...
, Ydígoras had been the main opponent of Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán
Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán
Colonel Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán was a Guatemalan military officer and politician who served as Defense Minister of Guatemala from 1944–1951, and as President of Guatemala from 1951 to 1954....
and finished runner-up with nearly 19% of the vote. In 1957, following the assassination of Castillo Armas, elections
Guatemalan general election, 1957
General elections were held in Guatemala on 20 October 1957. Miguel Ortiz Passarelli won the presidential election. However, the elections were nullified on 23 October 1957 following protests against electoral fraud.-President:-Bibliography:...
were held in which Ydígoras and his party, the National Democratic Reconciliation Party
National Democratic Reconciliation Party
National Democratic Reconciliation Party . PRDN was a moderate conservative party in Guatemala.The PRDN was founded in 1950 by General Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes....
, finished runner-up in a blatantly rigged election. Another election in 1958
Guatemalan general election, 1958
General elections were held in Guatemala on 19 January 1958 after the 1957 elections were nullified. After no candidate received 50% or more of the national vote, Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes was elected President by Congress on 12 February, whilst an alliance of the National Democratic Reconciliation...
saw Ydígoras win, considered to have represented the more moderate of the anti-Communist "right" factions.
In response to his autocratic rule and his close ties to the United States, a group of junior army officers led a rebellion in 1960. Although the rebellion was successfully put down, the surviving officers went into hiding and formed the Revolutionary Movement 13th November
Revolutionary Movement 13th November
Revolutionary Movement 13th November was a leftist movement in Guatemala. MR-13 was founded in 1960 by a group of dissident officers. It was led by Luis Augusto Turcios Lima, Marco Antonio Yon Sosa and Luis Trejo Esquivel. Alejandro de León, co-founder of the group, was captured and shot by the...
, marking the start of a 36-year guerrilla war.
Ydígoras Fuentes was eventually overthrown in a coup by his own defense minister Colonel Enrique Peralta Azurdia
Enrique Peralta Azurdia
Alfredo Enrique Peralta Azurdia was President of Guatemala from 31 March 1963 to 1 July 1966.Enrique Peralta was born on June 17, 1908 in Guatemala City. He took over the presidency after a coup against president Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes...
(with the backing of opposition parties) to end the possibility of a return of former left-of-center civilian president Juan José Arévalo
Juan José Arévalo
Juan José Arévalo Bermejo was the first of the reformist presidents of Guatemala. Preceded by military junta interregnum after a definitive pro-democracy revolt in 1944...
in the upcoming elections.