Leonardo Argüello Barreto

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Leonardo Argüello Barreto (August 29, 1875, Leon, Nicaragua – December 15, 1947, City of Mexico) was a Nicaraguan politician who, after several attempts, became President of Nicaragua in 1947. He served from May 1 to May 26, 1947.

A member of the Constitutional Liberal Party, his presidency was cut short by a Coup d'état orchestrated by the Commander of the National guard, General Anastasio Somoza García, the true ruler of the country.

[edit] Life and political race

Working as a doctor in Leon, he entered Liberal Party politics in 1912. He participated in the Constitutionalist War of 1926. He served as President of the National Congress, and as Minister of Public Education, Interior and Relaciones.

He was also a writer and diplomat. In the elections of 1936, he ran for president and lost to General Samoza. To the surprise of many, Samoza proposed that Arguello should be the candidate for the Liberal Party in the elections of 1947, and did not run for president himself. The elections were widely believed to be rigged, and one of the conditions for Arguello’s victory was the maintenance of Somoza as of Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard.

[edit] Presidency of the Republic

On May 1, 1947, during his inauguration before the Congress of the Republic, Arguello made a speech in opposition to the wishes of Gen. Somoza. In a part of his message he said:

I will not be, tenedlo by the way, a simple president of turn, dragged by the bellwether to take of the current of the custom and the tradition.

From that day disputes arose between doctor Argüello Barreto and Gen. Somoza. The excesses of the National Guard were denounced for the first time. The government published a list of the properties acquired by Somoza during his presidency. There were even rumours that president Argüello, without taking into account the National Commander of the guard, had attempted to ally with factions of the military who were dissatisfied with Somoza.

During the few weeks of his ascent to the presidency he tried to carry out some changes in the army without the assent of Somoza. These acts infuriated Somoza, who hoped to have the absolute control of the country with Argüello Barreto as a mere figurehead.

[edit] Exile and coup d'état

On May 26, 1947 general Somoza led a coup d'état against the government, accusing it of conspiring to remove him as commander of the National Guard. The Congress declared that Arguello was unable to govern and removed him of the position, accusing him of attempting to undermine army discipline. The Assembly nominated Benjamín Lacayo Sacasa, a puppet of Somoza, to succeed Arguello.

Arguello fled to the Embassy of Mexico, after less than 4 weeks into his mandate. He remained there 6 months, until finally moving to Mexico without resigning the position of President of the Republic.

He died of an illness shortly after arriving in Mexico City on December 15, 1947. He is buried in Mexico City.