Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García
Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García (born January 24, 1930 in Guatemala City , † December 9, 2009 ) was a Guatemalan general and president from 1974 to 1978.
Life
Laugerud was the son of a Norwegian and a Guatemalan.
Military career
After attending the Military Academy ( Escuela Politécnica ), whose superintendent he became in 1965, he was appointed military attaché in the USA . Laugerud García later rose during the tenure of President Carlos Arana Osorio (1970–1974) to head of the General Staff and Minister of Defense .
Presidency 1974–78
Laugerud García's election as president in March 1974 was overshadowed by allegations of violence and fraud. On July 1, 1974, he replaced Arana Osorio as president. Like this one, he was a candidate for the right-wing coalition consisting of Movemiento de Liberacíon Nacional (MLN) and Partido Institucional Democrático (PID). During his presidency he announced an economic austerity program, but kept many ministers from the previous government.
After a devastating earthquake on February 4, 1976, he took out loans from the Inter-American Development Bank , the World Bank and the German Investment and Development Company for the reconstruction of roads, hospitals and electricity lines as well as for the promotion of the fishing and manufacturing industries. He then managed the distribution of deliveries and expected orders. However, the accident brought only a temporary agreement. The political turmoil that had accompanied Laugerud García's election began to grow again during the remainder of the term.
Guatemala's “claim” to the neighboring state of Belize , which he reinforced, failed due to international resistance. For this reason, he broke off diplomatic relations with Panama in 1977 . Amnesty International condemned the threats and murders of the Movimiento de Acción Nacionalista Organizado (MANO), a white-hand death squad with contacts to the IV Corps of the Policía Nacional , as well as Laugerud García's tacit condoning of state terrorism.
Dismissed from the army
In 1983 he was forced to quit the army along with three other ex-presidents .
Government cabinet
- Deputy: Mario Sandoval Alarcón
- Foreign Minister: Adolfo Molina Orantes, died on January 31, 1980 in the massacre in the Spanish embassy.
- Government Minister ( Ministro de Gobernación ) from 1976: Donaldo Álvarez Ruiz
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García, Leader of Guatemala During '76 Quake, Dies at 79 , New York Times, December 11, 2009, accessed May 4, 2018.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Carlos Arana Osorio |
President of Guatemala July 1, 1974-30. June 1978 |
Fernando Romeo Lucas García |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Laugerud García, Kjell Eugenio |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Guatemalan general and president |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 24, 1930 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Guatemala City |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 9, 2009 |
| Place of death | Guatemala City |