Luis Arturo González López facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luis Arturo González López
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González López in 1957
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| 29th President of Guatemala | |
| In office 26 July 1957 – 24 October 1957 |
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| Preceded by | Carlos Castillo Armas |
| Succeeded by | Óscar Mendoza Azurdia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 December 1900 Zacapa, Guatemala |
| Died | 11 November 1965 (aged 64) Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| Political party | National Liberation Movement |
Luis Arturo González López (born December 21, 1900 – died November 11, 1965) was a lawyer and politician from Guatemala. He served as the acting President of Guatemala for a short time in 1957. He became president after the previous leader, Carlos Castillo Armas, was tragically killed. González López was next in line to become president, as decided by the Congress.
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Early Life and Career
González López was born in a town called Zacapa in Guatemala. He decided to study law and became a lawyer. Later, he worked as a judge in different cities across the country.
He was a member of the Supreme Court for seven years. This was from 1945 to 1951. He later left this position.
Becoming President
In 1957, Luis Arturo González López was chosen to be the "First Presidential Designate." This meant he was next in line to become president. The president at the time was Carlos Castillo Armas.
On July 26, 1957, President Castillo Armas was tragically killed at the presidential palace in Guatemala City. Because González López was the First Presidential Designate, he was sworn in as the interim (temporary) president. This happened on July 27, 1957. A special document, called decree 1191, stated that he needed to arrange new elections quickly.
Political Challenges
After President Castillo Armas's death, some of his supporters thought about taking control of the government by force. They considered forming a military group to rule the country. However, the U.S. ambassador to Guatemala, Edwin J. Sparks, convinced them not to. The United States government wanted Guatemala to appear democratic, not like a country ruled by a military dictator.
The 1957 Elections
New elections were held in October 1957. These elections were complicated. There was pressure from the U.S. government, the government of Dominica, and the army.
The candidate from the middle-ground party, Miguel Ortiz Passarelli, won the most votes. However, supporters of another candidate, Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes, caused riots. Because of the unrest, the Guatemalan government declared martial law. This meant the military took control for 30 days to keep order.
End of Presidency
On October 24, 1957, a group of 80 military officers went to the Presidential Palace. They replaced González López with a new government. This new government was a three-person group led by army Colonel Óscar Mendoza Azurdia.
New elections were then held in January 1958. In these elections, Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes won easily. He became the new president of Guatemala shortly after.
