Ministry of Defence of Guatemala
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of National Defence is the agency of the Guatemala
n government responsible for the budget, training and policy of the military of Guatemala
. Based in Guatemala City
, the Defence Ministry is highly guarded, and the President of Guatemala
frequently visits. Prior to 1945 the agency was titled the Secretariat of War (Secretaría de la Guerra).
the Minister of National Defence is Brigadier General Marco Tulio Garcia Franco.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n government responsible for the budget, training and policy of the military of Guatemala
Military of Guatemala
The Military of Guatemala consists of National Army of Guatemala , the Guatemalan Navy and the Guatemalan Air Force ....
. Based in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
, the Defence Ministry is highly guarded, and the President of Guatemala
President of Guatemala
The title of President of Guatemala has been the usual title of the leader of Guatemala since 1839, when that title was assumed by Mariano Rivera Paz...
frequently visits. Prior to 1945 the agency was titled the Secretariat of War (Secretaría de la Guerra).
the Minister of National Defence is Brigadier General Marco Tulio Garcia Franco.
Structure
The ministry is headed by the Minister of National Defence, who reports to the President of Guatemala, the commander in chief of the armed forces.List of Ministers of National Defence
| # | Picture | Name | Term of Office | President(s) President of Guatemala The title of President of Guatemala has been the usual title of the leader of Guatemala since 1839, when that title was assumed by Mariano Rivera Paz... served under |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||
| Col. Carlos Paz Tejada | Juan José Arévalo Juan José Arévalo Juan José Arévalo Bermejo was the first of the reformist presidents of Guatemala. Preceded by military junta interregnum after a definitive pro-democracy revolt in 1944... |
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| Col. Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán Colonel Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán was a Guatemalan military officer and politician who served as Defense Minister of Guatemala from 1944–1951, and as President of Guatemala from 1951 to 1954.... |
1950 | 15 February 1950 | Juan José Arévalo | ||
| Col. José Angel Sánchez | 1954 | 1954 | |||
| Col. Enrique Close De León | 1955 | 1957 | Carlos Castillo Armas Carlos Castillo Armas Carlos Castillo Armas was a Guatemalan Colonel who came to power in a CIA-orchestrated coup in 1954. He held the title of President of Guatemala from July 8, 1954 until his assassination in 1957.-The coup:... |
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| Juán Francisco Oliva | 1957 | 1957 | |||
| Col. Guillermo Flores Avendaño Guillermo Flores Avendaño Colonel Guillermo Flores Avendaño was President of Guatemala from 27 October 1957 until 2 March 1958, when he was appointed Minister of Defence in the government of Miguel Ydígoras.-References:... |
3 March 1958 | 1958 | José Miguel Ramón Ydígoras Fuentes | ||
| Rubén González Siguí | 1960 | 1960 | José Miguel Ramón Ydígoras Fuentes | ||
| Col. Alfredo Enrique Peralta Azurdia | 1960 | 30 March 1963 | José Miguel Ramón Ydígoras Fuentes | ||
| Col. Rafael Arriaga Bosque | 1 July 1966 | 26 March 1968 | Julio César Méndez Montenegro Julio César Méndez Montenegro Julio César Méndez Montenegro was the Revolutionary Party President of Guatemala from 1 July 1966 to 1 July 1970. The only civilian to occupy Guatemala's presidency during the long period of military rule between 1954 and 1986, Méndez was not allowed to act independently of the military and was... |
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| Rolando Chinchilla Aguilar | 28 March 1968 | 19 February 1969 | Julio César Méndez Montenegro | ||
| Brig. Gen. Doroteo Reyes Santa Cruz | 19 February 1969 | after 1 April 1970 | Julio César Méndez Montenegro | ||
| Leonel Vassaux Martínez | before July 1970 | after 1 January 1972 | Julio César Méndez Montenegro | ||
| Gen. Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García was President of Guatemala from 1 July 1974 to 1 July 1978. He was the son of a Norwegian father and Guatemalan mother.... |
January 1972 | 1974 | Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio was President of Guatemala from 1 July 1970 to 1 July 1974.Carlos Arana was born in Barberena, in the department of Santa Rosa.... |
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| Brig. Gen. Fausto David Rubio Coronado | 1974 | after 1 April 1975 | Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio | ||
| Gen. Fernando Romeo Lucas García Fernando Romeo Lucas García Fernando Romeo Lucas García was the 25th President of Guatemala from 1 July 1978 to 23 March 1982... |
1 July 1975 | after 1 January 1977 | Gen. Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García was President of Guatemala from 1 July 1974 to 1 July 1978. He was the son of a Norwegian father and Guatemalan mother.... |
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| Gen. Otto Guillermo Spiegeler Noriega | 1 February 1977 | 15 January 1980 | Gen. Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García | ||
| Gen. Ángel Aníbal Guevara Rodríguez | 15 January 1980 | 9 August 1981 | Gen. Fernando Romeo Lucas García Fernando Romeo Lucas García Fernando Romeo Lucas García was the 25th President of Guatemala from 1 July 1978 to 23 March 1982... |
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| Gen. Luís René Mendoza Palomo | 1981 | 1981 | Gen. Fernando Romeo Lucas García | ||
| Gen. José Efraín Ríos Montt | 1982 | 1982 | Gen. Fernando Romeo Lucas García | ||
| Gen. Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores was the 27th President of Guatemala from 8 August 1983 to 14 January 1986. A member of the military, he was President of Guatemala during a time of increased repression and death squad activity... |
1 September 1982 | after 15 August 1985 | Gen. José Efraín Ríos Montt | ||
| 8 August 1985 | 14 January 1986 | Gen. Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores was the 27th President of Guatemala from 8 August 1983 to 14 January 1986. A member of the military, he was President of Guatemala during a time of increased repression and death squad activity... |
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| Gen. Jaime Hernández Méndez Jaime Hernández Méndez Jaime Hernández Méndez is a retired Brigadier General of the Guatemalan Army who served as the first Minister of Defense of the new Democratic period started with the free election of President Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo in 1986... |
14 January 1986 | 31 January 1987 | Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arévalo | ||
| Gen. Héctor Alejandro Gramajo Morales Hector Gramajo Héctor Alejandro Gramajo Morales was a general in the Guatemalan Army who served as Defense Minister from 1987 to 1990. He also ran unsuccessfully as the Frente de Unidad Nacional's candidate for the presidency in 1995.... |
31 January 1987 | 21 May 1990 | Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arévalo | ||
| Gen. Juán Leonel Bolaños Chávez | 21 May 1990 | after 5 September 1990 | Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arévalo | ||
| Gen. Luis Enrique Mendoza García | 14 January 1991 | 13 December 1991 | Jorge Antonio Serrano Elías | ||
| Gen. José Domingo García Samayoa | 13 December 1991 | 7 June 1993 | Jorge Antonio Serrano Elías Ramiro de León Carpio Ramiro de León Carpio Ramiro de León Carpio was the President of Guatemala from 6 June 1993 until 14 January 1996.-Career:He studied law at the University of San Carlos and then at the Rafael Landívar University, where he ran the Sol Bolivariano newspaper... |
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| Gen. Jorge Roberto Perussina Rivera | 7 June 1993 | 28 June 1993 | Ramiro de León Carpio | ||
| Gen. Mario René Enríquez Morales | 1 July 1993 | 9 October 1995 | Ramiro de León Carpio | ||
| Maj. Gen. Marco Antonio González Taracena | 9 October 1995 | 13 January 1996 | Ramiro de León Carpio | ||
| Maj. Gen. Julio Arnoldo Balconi Turcios | 14 January 1996 | 3 July 1997 | Álvaro Arzú Álvaro Arzú Álvaro Enrique Arzú Yrigoyen was the 32nd President of Guatemala from January 14, 1996 until January 14, 2000... |
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| Brig. Gen. Héctor Mario Barrios Celada | 3 July 1997 | 30 June 1999 | Álvaro Arzú | ||
| Gen. Marco Tulio Espinoza | 30 June 1999 | 14 January 2000 | Álvaro Arzú | ||
| Col. Juan de Dios Estrada Velásquez | 18 January 2000 | 9 January 2001 | Alfonso Portillo Alfonso Portillo Alfonso Antonio Portillo Cabrera is a Guatemalan politician. He served as the President of the Republic of Guatemala from 2000 to 2004.... |
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| Maj. Gen. Eduardo Arévalo Lacs | 9 January 2001 | 2001-12-10 | Alfonso Portillo | ||
| Gen. Leonel Méndez Estrada | 2001-12-10 | 2002-08-26 | Alfonso Portillo | ||
| Robin Malconi Moran Muñoz | 2002-08-26 | January 2004 | Alfonso Portillo | ||
| Brig. Gen. César Augusto Méndez Pinelo | January 2004 | 7 January 2005 | Óscar Berger Óscar Berger Óscar José Rafael Berger Perdomo, born on 11 August 1946 in Guatemala City, is a former President of Guatemala.-Early years:Of Belgian descent, Berger was born to an upper class family with large sugar and coffee holdings... |
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Maj. Gen. Carlos Humberto Aldana Villanueva | 7 January 2005 | 2 November 2005 | Óscar Berger | |
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Brig. Gen. Francisco Bermúdez Amado | 2 November 2005 | 29 December 2006 | Óscar Berger | |
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Maj. Gen. Ronaldo Cecilio Leiva Rodríguez | 29 December 2006 | 14 January 2008 | Óscar Berger | |
| Brig. Gen. Marco Tulio García Franco | 15 January 2008 | 21 December 2008 | Álvaro Colom Álvaro Colom Álvaro Colom Caballeros is the President of Guatemala for the 2008–2012 term and leader of the social-democratic National Unity of Hope .-Early years:... |
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| Maj. Gen. Abraham Valenzuela Gonzalez | 21 December 2008 | Incumbent | Álvaro Colom | ||
Sources
- CIA Chiefs Of State
- New York Times archives
- National Security Archives - The Guatemalan Military