Carlos Humberto Romero

Brigadier General
Carlos Humberto Romero
Brigadier General Carlos Humberto Romero
	Romero in 1977
72nd 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
37th 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	Brigadier general

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.

Early life

Carlos Humberto Romero Mena was born on 29 February 1924 in Chalatenango, El Salvador. His parents were José María Romero (who died prior to his birth) and Victoria Mena de Romero.^[1]

Military career

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

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

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

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

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

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]}

Romero was El Salvador's last military president.^[10]^[11]

Personal life

Romero married Gloria Guerrero and the couple had four children: Carlos Humberto, Luis Felipe, Gloria Valentina, and Roxana Carolina.^[1]

Later life and death

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

Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic^{[citation needed]}

References

Citations

^ ^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, p. 276 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, p. 102
^ Whitfield, Teresa (1995). Paying the Price: Ignacio Ellacuría and the Murdered Jesuits of El Salvador. Philadelphia: 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

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

"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.

Political offices
Preceded by Fidel Torres	Minister of Defense and Public Security of El Salvador 1972–1977	Succeeded by Federico Castillo Yanes
Preceded by Arturo Armando Molina	President of El Salvador 1977–1979	Succeeded by Revolutionary Government Junta

[FOOTNOTECasa_Presidencial-1] Casa Presidencial.

[FOOTNOTELegislative_Assembly_of_El_Salvador-2] Legislative Assembly of El Salvador.

[Tri-3] "Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.au. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2019.

[4] "Consejo Central de Elecciones" (PDF). Diario Oficial. 2 March 1977. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.

[N1-5] Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p. 276 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6

[HB-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, p. 102

[Whitfield_1995-7] Whitfield, Teresa (1995). Paying the Price: Ignacio Ellacuría and the Murdered Jesuits of El Salvador. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 9781566392532.

[Stanley_1996-8] 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

[9] "Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.au. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2019.

[FOOTNOTEArias2017-10] Arias 2017.

[FOOTNOTELa_Prensa_Gráfica2017-11] La Prensa Gráfica 2017.

[FOOTNOTEMarroquín2017-12] Marroquín 2017.

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v t e Heads of state of El Salvador
Post-independence (1821–1823)	Barriere Delgado Filísola Codallos Consultive Junta^‡ Prado^†
Federal Republic of Central America (1823–1841)	J. Rodríguez Prado J. V. Villacorta Prado Cornejo J. D. Villacorta Cornejo Morazán^† J. San Martín Prado J. San Martín C. Salazar^† G. Salazar^† Escolán^† Silva Espinoza F. Gómez Vigil T. Menéndez Vigil T. Menéndez Cañas^† Morazán Silva^† Cañas^† Ramírez^† Lindo^†
Republic of El Salvador (1841–1931)	Lindo^† Arce^† Marín^† J. J. Guzmán D. Villacorta^† Marín^† J. J. Guzmán C. Molina^† Arce^† C. Molina^† Arce^† Palacios^† Malespín Palacios^† J. E. Guzmán Palacios^† Aguilar Palacios^† Aguilar Medina^† Quirós^† Vasconcelos R. Rodríguez^† Vasconcelos Dueñas^† Quirós^† Dueñas J. M. San Martín^† Dueñas V. Gómez^† J. M. San Martín Dueñas^† Campo Dueñas^† Campo Zepeda^† Santín Barrios^† Santín J. E. Guzmán^† Peralta^† Barrios Dueñas González Méndez^† González del Valle Zaldívar Guirola^† Zaldívar Figueroa^† Rosales^† F. Menéndez C. Ezeta A. Ezeta^† Gutiérrez Regalado Escalón Figueroa M. Araujo C. Meléndez^† Quiñónez^† C. Meléndez Quiñónez^† J. Meléndez Quiñónez P. Romero A. Araujo
Military presidents (1931–1979)	Civic Directory^‡ Hernández Martínez^† A. Menéndez^† Hernández Martínez A. Menéndez^† Aguirre^† Castaneda Revolutionary Council of Government^‡ Osorio Lemus Junta of Government^‡ Civic-Military Directory^‡ Cordón^† Rivera F. Sánchez A. Molina C. Romero
Salvadoran Civil War (1979–1992)	Revolutionary Government Junta^‡ Magaña Duarte Cristiani
Post-Civil War (since 1992)	Cristiani Calderón Flores Saca Funes S. Sánchez Bukele C. Rodríguez^†
^† – Acting or provisional president ^‡ – Military junta