Guatemalan presidential election, 17 December 1930

Front page of Nuestro Diario on 18 December 1930, where it is informed that de facto lead Orellana Contreras was appointed President of Guatemala by Congress.^[1]

A coup d'état occurred in Guatemala on 17 December 1930, which ousted president Baudilio Palma; then, Congress appointed coup leader Orellana Contreras as the new President of Guatemala in a legislative presidential election.

History

After the coup d'état against president Baudilio Palma -who had just been designated president of Guatemala after a stroke forced president Lázaro Chacón to resign on 12 December 1930- the Congress appointed general Manuel María Orellana Contreras as provisional president.^[2][3][4] However, given the large investments that American companies had in Guatemala -especially the United Fruit Company, the United States Secretary of State Henry Stimson publicly denounced Orellana as an unconstitutional leader and demanded his removal. Realizing that the Americans would not recognize his government, Orellana resigned on December 29.^[5][6]

Eventually, general Jorge Ubico came into power in 1931, and ruled Guatemala with a tight grip until he was deposed on 1 July 1944; during his rule, the power and influence of the United Fruit Company strengthened in Guatemala.^[7]

See also

• Henry Stimson
• Jorge Ubico
• Lázaro Chacón
• Manuel María Orellana Contreras
• United Fruit Company

Notes and References

References

1. Nuestro Diario 18 December 1930, p. Front page.
2. Time 1930.
3. Time 1931.
4. Time 1931b.
5. Dosal 1993, p. 176.
6. Bucheli & Jones 2005.
7. Dosal 1993, pp. 182-196.

Bibliography

• Bucheli, Marcelo; Jones, Geoffrey (2005). "The Octopus and the Generals: the United Fruit Company in Guatemala". Harvard Business School Case (9–805–146).
• Dosal, Paul J. (1993). Doing business with the dictators: a political history of United Fruit in Guatemala, 1899-1944. Wilmington: Scholarly Resources.
• Nuestro Diario (13 December 1930). "Presidente Lázaro Chacón obligado a renunciar a la presidencia por enfermedad". Nuestro Diario (in Spanish) (Guatemala).
• — (17 December 1930). "Alzados deponen al presidente Palma". Nuestro Diario (in Spanish) (Guatemala).
• — (18 December 1930). "El general Manuel María Orellana presidente de la República". Nuestro Diario (in Spanish) (Guatemala).
• Time (1930). "Wrong horse No. 2". Time magazine (United States).
• — (1931). "We are not amused". Time magazine (United States).
• — (1931b). "Died. General Lazaro Chacon, 56, President of Guatemala". Time magazine (United States).