Leonardo Argüello Barreto

Leonardo Argüello Barreto (29 August 1875 – 15 December 1947) was a Nicaraguan politician who, after several attempts, became the President of Nicaragua in 1947. He served from 1 May to 27 May 1947.

A member of the Nationalist 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.

Life and political race

Leonardo Argüello was born in León, Nicaragua. 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 Foreign Affairs.

He was also a writer and diplomat. In the elections of 1936, he ran for president and lost to General Somoza. To the surprise of many, Somoza proposed that Argüello 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 Argüello’s victory was the maintenance of Somoza as of Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard.

Presidency of the Republic

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

I will not be, by the way, a simple figurehead.

From that day on, disputes arose between doctor Argüello 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, in particular with the young Aguirre Baca brothers, Francisco and Horacio. These acts infuriated Somoza, who hoped to have the absolute control of the country.

Exile and coup d'état

On 26 May 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 Argüello was unable to govern and removed him of the position, accusing him of attempting to undermine army discipline. The Assembly nominated Benjamín Lacayo, a puppet of Somoza, to succeed Argüello.

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. The Aguirre Baca bothers, from their part, took up diplomatic refuge at the Embassy of Panama, and fled to that country, before finally moving to, and settling into the United States.

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

He was a cousin of María Argüello Manning, wife of Juan Bautista Sacasa Sacasa, 63rd President of Nicaragua.

Presidents and heads of state of Nicaragua Fruto Chamorro Francisco Castellón1 Nazario Escoto1 José María Estrada Patricio Rivas William Walker Patricio Rivas Tomás Martínez and Máximo Jerez Junta Fernando Guzmán José Vicente Cuadra Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Joaquín Zavala Adán Cárdenas Evaristo Carazo Nicolás Osorno Roberto Sacasa Ignacio Chávez López Roberto Sacasa Junta Salvador Machado Joaquín Zavala José Santos Zelaya José Madriz José Dolores Estrada Luis Mena Juan José Estrada Adolfo Díaz Emiliano Chamorro Diego Manuel Chamorro Rosendo Chamorro Bartolomé Martínez Carlos José Solórzano Emiliano Chamorro Sebastián Uriza Adolfo Díaz José María Moncada Juan Bautista Sacasa Carlos Alberto Brenes Anastasio Somoza García Leonardo Argüello Benjamín Lacayo Víctor Manuel Román Manuel Fernando Zurita Anastasio Somoza García Luis Somoza René Schick Orlando Montenegro Lorenzo Guerrero Anastasio Somoza Debayle Liberal-Conservative Junta Anastasio Somoza Debayle Francisco Urcuyo Junta of National Reconstruction Daniel Ortega Violeta Chamorro Arnoldo Alemán Enrique Bolaños Daniel Ortega 1 in León.