Luis Arturo González López

Luis Arturo González López (21 December 1900, Zacapa – 11 November 1965) was a politician in Guatemala and the acting President of Guatemala from 27 July 1957 to 24 October 1957. Born in the town of Zacapa, González López studied law, and served as a judge in several cities.^[1] He was a member of the Guatemalan Supreme Court for seven years from 1945 to 1951, before being removed: reports stated that we was removed due to pressure from the communist parties.^[1] He was appointed Vice-President to Carlos Castillo Armas in 1957.^[1] On July 26, 1957 Castillo Armas was shot dead in the Guatemalan capital by a member of the presidential guard.^[2][3] González López held the position of "First Presidential Designate", and was sworn in as interim president on 27 July.^[4] Supporters of Castillo Armas were considering forming a military junta and seizing power, but were dissuaded by Edwin J. Sparks. the U.S. ambassador to Guatemala. The U.S. government preferred to preserve a facade of democracy, rather than have Guatemala revert to a blatant dictatorship.^[5] Elections were organized soon afterwards, complicated by pressure from the U.S. government, the government of Dominica, and the army.^[5] The centrist Ortiz Passarelli won a plurality in these elections, but supporters of Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes, who had also been a candidate in the election, rioted.^[6][2] The Guatemalan government declared martial law for a period of 30 days. On 24 October, a group of 80 military officers marched into the Presidential palace and replaced González López with a three-person junta led by army Colonel Oscar Mendoza Azurdia.^[6] New elections were held shortly afterward. Ydígoras Fuentes comfortable won this election and seized power for himself soon after.^[2]

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Sources

• Cullather, Nicholas (1999). Secret History: The CIA's Classified Account of its Operations in Guatemala 1952–54 (2nd ed.). Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-3311-3. 
• "Luis Arturo González López". Encarta. Archived from the original on 29 May 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2004. 
• Streeter, Stephen M. (2000). Managing the counterrevolution: the United States and Guatemala, 1954–1961. Ohio University Press. ISBN 978-0-89680-215-5.