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Carlos Humberto Romero
Humberto Romero 1977.jpg
37th 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
Álvaro Magaña as President
Minister of National Defense
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

(1924-02-29)29 February 1924
Chalatenango, El Salvador
Died 27 February 2017(2017-02-27) (aged 92)
San Salvador, El Salvador
Political party National Conciliation Party
Spouse Gloria Guerrero de Romero
Children Four
Alma mater Captain General Gerardo Barrios Military School
Military service
Allegiance  El Salvador
Branch/service Salvadoran Army
Rank General

Carlos Humberto Romero (born February 29, 1924 – died February 27, 2017) was a general in the Salvadoran army and a politician. He was the President of El Salvador from July 1, 1977, until he was removed from power by a military coup on October 15, 1979.

Early Life and Education

Carlos Humberto Romero was born in Chalatenango, El Salvador, on February 29, 1924. He studied at the Captain General Gerardo Barrios Military School. This is a special school for future army officers. He also went to the Command and General Staff School. Romero even studied horse riding in Mexico to improve his military skills.

Military and Political Career

Romero was a member of the National Conciliation Party, a political group in El Salvador. Before becoming president, he served as the Minister of National Defense. He held this important position from 1972 to 1977.

In February 1977, Romero ran for president. He was the candidate for the National Conciliation Party. On February 24, the election council announced that he had won. He received 67.3% of the votes. Julio Ernesto Astacio was named Vice President. However, some opposition groups said there was a lot of fraud in the election. They claimed the voting was not fair. A few days later, on February 28, 1977, the military stopped a protest rally. This protest was held by groups who disagreed with the election results.

Presidency of El Salvador

Jimmy Carter with Carlos Humberto Romero President of the Republic of El Salvador. - NARA - 176138
Carlos Romero with U.S. President Jimmy Carter, September 8, 1977.

General Romero officially became president on July 1, 1977. After the election, he declared a state of emergency for 30 days. This meant the government had special powers. His government was very traditional and strict.

During Romero's time as president, there was a lot of unrest and conflict in El Salvador. The country had big problems with poverty and inequality. Many people were unhappy with the government's actions. This led to many protests and rebellions. The government responded with strong actions against these groups. President Romero did try to spend more money on education. However, this did not make him popular with everyone.

There were many clashes between government forces and left-wing groups. Several religious leaders and members of worker and farmer groups lost their lives. Romero is also accused of being involved in a student incident on July 30, 1975. Left-wing armed groups fought back against the government's actions. This period of conflict caused a serious social crisis in the country.

End of His Presidency

Romero remained president until October 1979. On October 15, 1979, he was removed from power by a military coup. This coup was carried out by military officers and civilians who wanted reforms. The removal of President Romero was a major event. It led to the start of El Salvador's twelve-year civil war.

Later Life and Death

After being removed from office, Carlos Humberto Romero went to live in Guatemala. He lived there in exile for some time. Later, he returned to El Salvador. He passed away on February 27, 2017, at the age of 92. His death was due to natural causes.

Orders and Decorations

Carlos Humberto Romero received the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic. This is a high honor given by Spain.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Carlos Humberto Romero para niños

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