Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids General of Division Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes
32nd President of Guatemala
In office 2 March 1958 – 31 March 1963
Preceded by	Guillermo Flores Avendaño
Succeeded by	Enrique Peralta Azurdia
Personal details
Born	(1895-10-17)17 October 1895 Retalhuleu, Guatemala
Died	27 October 1982(1982-10-27) (aged 87) Guatemala City, Guatemala
Political party	National Democratic Reconciliation Party
Spouse	Maria Teresa Laparra (1901–1988)

General José Miguel Ramón Ydígoras Fuentes (born October 17, 1895 – died October 27, 1982) was a leader of Guatemala. He served as the President of Guatemala from 1958 to 1963. Before becoming president, he was a main challenger in the 1950 presidential election. He also worked as the governor of the San Marcos region.

Early Life and Military Career

Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes was born on a coffee farm in Pueblo Nuevo, Guatemala. This was on October 17, 1895. He loved coffee very much, drinking many cups a day. He called it a "patriotic vice" because Guatemala produced a lot of coffee.

He went to Guatemala's military academy. He finished at the very top of his class in 1915. Later, he worked at Guatemalan embassies in Washington, D.C., and Paris. He even represented Guatemala at a big peace meeting in Paris in 1919.

Serving Under a Dictator

In 1922, Ydígoras became the governor of the San Marcos region. He was made a general in 1937. He served as governor under a leader named Jorge Ubico. Ubico was a dictator, meaning he had total control of the country.

After Ubico was removed from power in 1944, Ydígoras was sent away. He went to Washington, D.C., and then London. This was like a diplomatic exile, meaning he had to leave the country for political reasons.

Presidential Election of 1950

Ydígoras returned to Guatemala in 1950. He ran for president against Jacobo Árbenz. The election was mostly fair. However, women who could not read were not allowed to vote.

Ydígoras had support from landowners. But he did not have much support from regular people. Árbenz won the election by a large number of votes.

CIA and the 1954 Coup

The United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) thought about Ydígoras to lead a plan. This plan was to remove Árbenz from power in 1954. But they chose Carlos Castillo Armas instead. They thought Ydígoras might not be popular with most Guatemalans.

Ydígoras later said that the CIA offered him help to remove Árbenz. He claimed he refused their first offer. He said their terms included favoring a big company and setting up a dictatorship. Later, Ydígoras agreed to help Castillo Armas.

Becoming President of Guatemala

Carlos Castillo Armas was sadly killed in 1957. New elections were held soon after. These first elections were not fair, so people protested. Another election was held in 1958, and Ydígoras was elected president.

Challenges During His Presidency

During his time as president, there were many reports of corruption. This means people in power were using their positions for personal gain. There was also a lot of social unrest. People often protested against the government.

These protests eventually led to the start of a guerrilla group. A guerrilla group is a small army that fights against a larger, regular army. This group was called MR-13.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

In 1961, Ydígoras allowed the CIA to train Cuban exiles in Guatemala. These exiles were preparing for an invasion of Cuba. This invasion, known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion, did not succeed.

End of His Presidency

Several attempts were made to remove Ydígoras from power. These attempts are called coups. A coup is when a group, often military, tries to take control of a government by force. All early attempts failed.

However, in 1963, Ydígoras's defense minister, Colonel Enrique Peralta Azurdia, took over. Peralta claimed that the government had been taken over by communists. He ended the constitution and became the new head of state. Many opposition groups supported Peralta's coup. They wanted to stop the former president, Juan José Arévalo, from running for president again.

Later Life and Legacy

Later in his life, Ydígoras felt upset about the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion. He was in exile in El Salvador in 1974. He said he was blamed unfairly for the failure. He also believed the United States was responsible for his removal from power.

Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes passed away on October 27, 1982. He was 87 years old. He died in a military hospital in Guatemala City from a cerebral hemorrhage, which is a type of bleeding in the brain. He was survived by his wife and two children.

Sources

See also

In Spanish: Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes para niños