Revolutionary Government Junta of El Salvador
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Revolutionary Government Junta (Spanish: Junta de Gobierno Revolucionario, JRG) ruled El Salvador between October 15, 1979 and May 2, 1982. It contained 2 colonels, Adolfo Arnaldo Majano Ramo and Jaime Abdul Gutiérrez Avendaño, and 3 civilians, Guillermo Ungo, Mario Antonio Andino and Román Mayorga Quirós.
The JRG ousted President Carlos Humberto Romero on October 15, 1979, apparently with the discreet support of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). They were inspired by left-wing politics, and wanted to project a moderate image of government, initiating a program of land reform and nationalization of the banking, coffee, and sugar industries.
However, the El Salvadoran Armed Forces (ESAF) maintained the same close ties with rightist death squads under the new government as it had before, and exerted considerable pressure on any government official who attempted to stop their abuses. The death squads generally operated with impunity, killing suspected FMLN guerrilla sympathizers and even local Christian Democratic Party members (including mayors) who supported moderates in the new government. Within the first week after the Junta seized power, Amnesty International reported 100 deaths from political violence.
Internal contradictions within the Junta soon became apparent, with Colonel Majano representing a progressive view and Colonel Gutiérez representing a more conservative viewpoint. On January 5, 1980 the 3 civilians resigned, and were replaced by José Antonio Morales Ehrlich and Héctor Miguel Dada Hirezi. When Dada Hirezi resigned in protest at the violence of the Junta on March 3, José Napoleón Duarte took his place. On December 7 Majano was expelled from the junta, and on December 22 Duarte became head of the Junta, and also the head of state. Gutiérrez was Vice-President, and considered to be the strong man of the regime. On January 10, 1981 the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) launched a generalized attack on the government which resulted in the regime receiving immediate military aid from the United States of America, including military advisors.
On March 26, 1982 elections to the National Congress were held. Then the new Congress chose Álvaro Alfredo Magaña Borja to become the new President of El Salvador, which resulted in the end of the Junta on May 2.
| Preceded by: Carlos Humberto Romero |
Salvadoran Head of State 1979–1982 |
Succeeded by: Álvaro Alfredo Magaña Borja |
