Carlos Humberto Romero Mena (29 February 1924 – 27 February 2017) was a Salvadoran military general and politician who served as president of El Salvador from 1 July 1977 until his overthrow on 15 October 1979. Romero was the final president of the country's military dictatorship which began in 1931.
General Carlos Humberto Romero | |
|---|---|
 Romero in 1977 | |
| 34th President of El Salvador | |
| In office 1 July 1977 – 15 October 1979 | |
| Vice President | Julio Ernesto Astacio |
| Preceded by | Arturo Armando Molina |
| Succeeded by | Revolutionary Government Junta |
| 19th Minister of Defense and Public Security | |
| In office 1 July 1972 – 1 July 1977 | |
| President | Arturo Armando Molina |
| Preceded by | Fidel Torres |
| Succeeded by | Federico Castillo Yanes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Carlos Humberto Romero Mena 29 February 1924 Chalatenango, El Salvador |
| Died | 27 February 2017 (aged 92) San Salvador, El Salvador |
| Political party | National Conciliation Party |
| Spouse | Gloria Guerrero de Romero |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Captain General Gerardo Barrios Military School |
| Occupation | Military officer, politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  El Salvador |
| Branch/service | Salvadoran Army |
| Rank | General |
Early life edit
Carlos Humberto Romero Mena was born on 29 February 1924 in Chalatenango, El Salvador. His parents were José María Romero and Victoria Mena de Romero.[1]
Military career edit
Romero studied at the Captain General Gerardo Barrios Military School and the Command and General Staff School. Romero also traveled to Mexico City to specialize in horse riding.[1]
During his military service, Romero held various command positions over the Cavalry Group and the First Infantry Regiment. He also served as the Assistant to the Military Attaché to the Embassy of El Salvador to Mexico, the Director of the Weapons and Services School, the Head of Personnel of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces General Command.[2] Romero attended the inaugurations of Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz in 1964 and Colombian President Misael Pastrana Borrero in 1970 as a delegate of the Salvadoran government. He also served as a delegate to the 7th Conference of American Armies in 1966 and the 6th Conference of American Intelligence Officers in 1967. In 1973, Romero served as the president of the Central American Defense Council.[1]
On 1 July 1972, Salvadoran President Arturo Armando Molina appointed Romero to serve as Minister of Defense and Public Security.[1]
Political career edit
Romero was a member of the National Conciliation Party.[3]
He launched his candidacy for the National Conciliation Party in the 1977 presidential elections. On 24 February, the Central Elections Council declared that he had won the election with 67.3% of the vote and was to be sworn in as President while Julio Ernesto Astacio was declared Vice President.[4] The opposition forces grouped in the National Opposition Union (UNO) filed complaints about numerous acts of fraud[5] and electoral coercion[6] committed in the vote. The period between his election and the inauguration proved to be extremely dangerous for his opponents. On 28 February 1977, military forces dissolved a UNO protest rally in the Plaza Libertad in San Salvador, and between 200 and 1,500 civilians were killed. [7][8]
Presidency edit
The general's arrival to power meant the establishment of a purely repressive project, abandoning all reformist attempts. For the Salvadoran right, he has been considered the president of the last period of economic prosperity in El Salvador, since it was one of the best countries in Central America in terms of economic growth, which was diminished due to the paramilitary activity of civil society organizations. organized related to socialism.[citation needed]
Critics edit
General Romero was sworn in on 1 July 1977. He responded to accusations of "electoral fraud" by declaring a state of emergency for thirty days and established a rigidly conservative government.[citation needed]
Political crisis edit
Romero's time in office was largely characterized by escalating violence and instability. In the late 1970s, political unrest increased, because of El Salvador's severe socio-economic inequalities unaddressed by his government and widespread discontent with government policy culminated in widespread protest and rebellion, which was met with reprisal by government forces. President Romero increased government education spending, but this won him no popularity with the left. The different police, military and government paramilitary forces launched a bloody repression campaign against leftist groups that ended the lives of 4 Catholic priests and numerous leaders and militants of workers and peasant organizations. He is accused of having ordered the student massacre of 30 July 1975. Left-wing armed groups responded to the violence exerted by the State with attacks on the security forces and government officials. The repression plunged the country into a serious social crisis.[citation needed]
1979 coup edit
Romero held power until October 1979, when he was deposed by a coup d'état carried out by a group of politically leftist and moderate military officers and civilians.[9] The coup d'état that deposed Romero was a precursor to El Salvador's twelve-year civil war.[citation needed]
Personal life edit
Romero married Gloria Guerrero and the couple had four children: Carlos Humberto, Luis Felipe, Gloria Valentina, and Roxana Carolina.[1]
Later life and death edit
After being deposed, Romero fled El Salvador for exile in Guatemala, however,[12] he later returned to El Salvador and settled in Colonia Escalón, a district of San Salvador.[11]
Romero died to natural causes in Colonia Escalón on 27 February 2017 at 6:00 p.m. at the age of 92, two days before his 93rd birthday.[10][11][12]
Orders and decorations edit
Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic[citation needed]
References edit
Citations edit
- ^ a b c d e Casa Presidencial.
- ^ Legislative Assembly of El Salvador.
- ^ "Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.au. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
- ^ ""Consejo Central de Elecciones"" (PDF). Diario Oficial. 2 March 1977. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p276 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
- ^ Herman, Edward S. and Frank Brodhead (1984) Demonstration elections: U.S.-staged elections in the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, and El Salvador Boston: South End Press, p102
- ^ Whitfield, Teresa (1995). Paying the Price: Ignacio Ellacuría and the Murdered Jesuits of El Salvador. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. ISBN 9781566392532.
- ^ Stanley, William (1996). The Protection Racket State: Elite Politics, Military Extortion, and Civil War in El Salvador. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 1566393922. Stanley William, Professor at the University of New Mexico
- ^ "Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.au. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
- ^ a b Arias 2017.
- ^ a b c La Prensa Gráfica 2017.
- ^ a b Marroquín 2017.
Bibliography edit
- Arias, Diana (1 March 2017). "Murió el Último Presidente Militar de El Salvador Carlos Humberto Romero" [The Final Military President of El Salvador Carlos Humberto Romero Died]. El Salvador Times (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 October 2019.
- "Gral. Carlos Humberto Romero Mena" [Gen. Carlos Humberto Romero]. Legislative Assembly of El Salvador (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- Marroquín, David (27 February 2017). "Expresidente Carlos Humberto Romero Falleció este Lunes" [Former President Carlos Humberto Romero Died this Monday]. El Diario de Hoy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- "Muere el General y Expresidente Carlos Humberto Romero" [General and Former President Carlos Humberto Romero Dies]. La Prensa Gráfica (in Spanish). 1 March 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- "Presidentes de El Salvador – General Carlos Humberto Romero" [Presidents of El Salvador – General Carlos Humberto Romero]. Casa Presidencial (in Spanish). Government of El Salvador. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
External links edit
- "Exministros de Defensa" [Former Ministers of Defense]. Armed Forces of El Salvador (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
