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| combatant2 = {{flagicon|Guatemala}} [[Government of Guatemala]]
| combatant2 = {{flagicon|Guatemala}} [[Government of Guatemala]]
| combatant3 =
| combatant3 =
| commander1 = {{flagicon|Guatemala}} [[Efrain Rios Montt]] <br> {{flagicon|Guatemala}} [[Lionel Sisniga Otero]]
| commander1 = {{flagicon|Guatemala}} [[Efraín Ríos Montt]] <br> {{flagicon|Guatemala}} [[Lionel Sisniga Otero]]
| commander2 = {{flagicon|Guatemala}} [[Fernando Romeo Lucas García]]
| commander2 = {{flagicon|Guatemala}} [[Fernando Romeo Lucas García]]
| commander3 =
| commander3 =
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The '''1982 Guatemalan coup d'état''' was a successful [[Coup d'état|military overthrow]] in [[Guatemala]] by junior [[military officers]], ousting the [[Fernando Romeo Lucas García|Romeo Lucas Garcia]] administration and installing a three-man [[military junta]] headed by [[General officer|General]] [[Efraín Ríos Montt|Efrain Rios Montt]]. The general ruled for a brief but bloody 17 months before being overthrown by his defense minister General [[Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores|Oscar Mejia Victores]] in [[1983 Guatemalan coup d'état|another coup]].
The '''1982 Guatemalan coup d'état''' was a successful [[Coup d'état|military overthrow]] in [[Guatemala]] by junior [[military officers]], ousting the [[Fernando Romeo Lucas García|Romeo Lucas Garcia]] administration and installing a three-man [[military junta]] headed by [[General officer|General]] [[Efraín Ríos Montt]]. The general ruled for a brief but bloody 17 months before being overthrown by his defense minister General [[Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores|Oscar Mejia Victores]] in [[1983 Guatemalan coup d'état|another coup]].


== Coup attempt ==
== Coup attempt ==
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About 19 military officers, along with Lionel Sisniga Otero, Vice-presidential candidate for the [[National Liberation Movement (Guatemala)|National Liberation Movement]] (MLN) in the March elections, participated in the plotting of the coup attempt for eight days.<ref name=":0" /> During that period, they managed to gain the support of top air force officials and elite army brigades.<ref name=":0" /> On March 23, 1982, the coup was finally launched at around 4 am. The 2000-strong rebel force,<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=2023-12-25 |title=Dissident Officers Claim Control in Guatemalan Coup |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1982/03/24/dissident-officers-claim-control-in-guatemalan-coup/678853c2-b84b-465b-bfd2-ed3651fab3ff/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> who identified each other through specific uniform modifications,<ref name=":0" /> successfully surrounded the presidential palace and forced the resignation of President Romeo Lucas Garcia in a near-bloodless manner. He was taken to the international airport and left Guatemala shortly after.<ref name=":1" /> Meanwhile, just three hours after the start of the coup attempt, Lionel Sisniga announced the coup on a seized radio station to the nation, declaring intentions for new elections to be held.<ref name=":0" />
About 19 military officers, along with Lionel Sisniga Otero, Vice-presidential candidate for the [[National Liberation Movement (Guatemala)|National Liberation Movement]] (MLN) in the March elections, participated in the plotting of the coup attempt for eight days.<ref name=":0" /> During that period, they managed to gain the support of top air force officials and elite army brigades.<ref name=":0" /> On March 23, 1982, the coup was finally launched at around 4 am. The 2000-strong rebel force,<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=2023-12-25 |title=Dissident Officers Claim Control in Guatemalan Coup |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1982/03/24/dissident-officers-claim-control-in-guatemalan-coup/678853c2-b84b-465b-bfd2-ed3651fab3ff/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> who identified each other through specific uniform modifications,<ref name=":0" /> successfully surrounded the presidential palace and forced the resignation of President Romeo Lucas Garcia in a near-bloodless manner. He was taken to the international airport and left Guatemala shortly after.<ref name=":1" /> Meanwhile, just three hours after the start of the coup attempt, Lionel Sisniga announced the coup on a seized radio station to the nation, declaring intentions for new elections to be held.<ref name=":0" />


Following the successful coup attempt, General Efrain Rios Montt was summoned to the [[National Palace (Guatemala)|National Palace]], chosen to lead as he was once the Military Academy's dean and thus respected by many in the army.<ref name=":0" /> There, he was named head of a three-man military junta; the two other members of the junta were General [[Horacio Maldonado Shad]] and Colonel [[Francisco Gordillo]].<ref name=":1" /> In the evening,<ref name=":0" /> General Rios Montt made his first nationwide address, promising "peace, work, and security." for the nation.<ref name=":1" /> He further announced the dissolution of the congress and stated the junta will rule by decree.<ref name=":1" /> The coup plotters, who had expected a civilian-military junta and immediate elections, became disillusioned as their hopes were dashed.<ref name=":0" /> The general diminished the role of civilian participants after taking charge, including Lionel Sisniga, who was sidelined.<ref name=":0" /> This was due in part because Sisniga's party the MLN "stole" General Rios Montt's victory in the [[1974 Guatemalan general election|1974 elections]], which were perceived to be fraudulent.<ref name=":0" />
Following the successful coup attempt, General Efraín Ríos Montt was summoned to the [[National Palace (Guatemala)|National Palace]], chosen to lead as he was once the Military Academy's dean and thus respected by many in the army.<ref name=":0" /> There, he was named head of a three-man military junta; the two other members of the junta were General [[Horacio Maldonado Shad]] and Colonel [[Francisco Gordillo]].<ref name=":1" /> In the evening,<ref name=":0" /> General Ríos Montt made his first nationwide address, promising "peace, work, and security." for the nation.<ref name=":1" /> He further announced the dissolution of the congress and stated the junta will rule by decree.<ref name=":1" /> The coup plotters, who had expected a civilian-military junta and immediate elections, became disillusioned as their hopes were dashed.<ref name=":0" /> The general diminished the role of civilian participants after taking charge, including Lionel Sisniga, who was sidelined.<ref name=":0" /> This was due in part because Sisniga's party the MLN "stole" General Ríos Montt's victory in the [[1974 Guatemalan general election|1974 elections]], which were perceived to be fraudulent.<ref name=":0" />


== Post-coup ==
== Post-coup ==
During Rios Montt's reign between March 23, 1982, to August 8, 1983, Rios Montt initiated a crackdown on the newly formed [[Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity]] (URNG), an umbrella organization composed of [[Marxism|Marxist]] [[Guerrilla warfare|guerilla]] groups.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-03-07 |title=Timeline: Guatemala's Brutal Civil War |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/latin_america-jan-june11-timeline_03-07 |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref> He launched extermination campaigns against both leftist rebels and [[Indigenous peoples|indigenous people]]. Under his rule, the army and its paramilitary units systematically destroyed over 600 villages.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=The Guatemala Genocide Case – CJA |url=https://cja.org/what-we-do/litigation/the-guatemala-genocide-case/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |language=en-US}}</ref> Approximately 200,000 people died or disappeared, 1.5 million were displaced, and over 150,000 immigrated to Mexico. The [[Historical Clarification Commission|Commission for Historical Clarification]] reported that 93% of the violence which occurred during this period were state sponsored while the guerillas were responsible for 3%.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Violence and Genocide in Guatemala {{!}} Genocide Studies Program |url=https://gsp.yale.edu/case-studies/guatemala/violence-and-genocide-guatemala |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=gsp.yale.edu}}</ref> 83% of the victims were Mayan while 17% were Latino.<ref name=":3" /> This period is referred to as the "Silent Holocaust."<ref name=":2" />
During Ríos Montt's reign between March 23, 1982, to August 8, 1983, Ríos Montt initiated a crackdown on the newly formed [[Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity]] (URNG), an umbrella organization composed of [[Marxism|Marxist]] [[Guerrilla warfare|guerilla]] groups.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-03-07 |title=Timeline: Guatemala's Brutal Civil War |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/latin_america-jan-june11-timeline_03-07 |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref> He launched extermination campaigns against both leftist rebels and [[Indigenous peoples|indigenous people]]. Under his rule, the army and its paramilitary units systematically destroyed over 600 villages.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=The Guatemala Genocide Case – CJA |url=https://cja.org/what-we-do/litigation/the-guatemala-genocide-case/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |language=en-US}}</ref> Approximately 200,000 people died or disappeared, 1.5 million were displaced, and over 150,000 immigrated to Mexico. The [[Historical Clarification Commission|Commission for Historical Clarification]] reported that 93% of the violence which occurred during this period were state sponsored while the guerillas were responsible for 3%.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Violence and Genocide in Guatemala {{!}} Genocide Studies Program |url=https://gsp.yale.edu/case-studies/guatemala/violence-and-genocide-guatemala |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=gsp.yale.edu}}</ref> 83% of the victims were Mayan while 17% were Latino.<ref name=":3" /> This period is referred to as the "Silent Holocaust."<ref name=":2" />


Unable to gain the support of key power holders in Guatemala, such as wealthy landowners, conservative politicians, and army officers, he was deposed on August 8, 1983, by defense minister General Meija Victores.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Schlesinger |first=Stephen C. |date=1983-08-11 |title=Opinion {{!}} GUATEMALA'S COUP II |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/11/opinion/guatemalas-coup-ii.html |access-date=2024-06-06 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Contributing factors to his downfall included his erratic behavior and religious zealotry, a declining economy, and a deteriorating human rights record.<ref name=":4" />
Unable to gain the support of key power holders in Guatemala, such as wealthy landowners, conservative politicians, and army officers, he was deposed on August 8, 1983, by defense minister General Meíja Víctores.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Schlesinger |first=Stephen C. |date=1983-08-11 |title=Opinion {{!}} GUATEMALA'S COUP II |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/11/opinion/guatemalas-coup-ii.html |access-date=2024-06-06 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Contributing factors to his downfall included his erratic behavior and religious zealotry, a declining economy, and a deteriorating human rights record.<ref name=":4" />


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 03:36, 14 June 2024

1982 Guatemalan coup d'état
Part of Guatemalan Civil War
DateMarch 23, 1982
Location
Guatemala
Result Successful coup; military junta established
Belligerents
Guatemala Guatemalan Armed Forces Guatemala Government of Guatemala
Commanders and leaders
Guatemala Efraín Ríos Montt
Guatemala Lionel Sisniga Otero		 Guatemala Fernando Romeo Lucas García
Strength
19 officers
2000 soldiers		 Unknown

The 1982 Guatemalan coup d'état was a successful military overthrow in Guatemala by junior military officers, ousting the Romeo Lucas Garcia administration and installing a three-man military junta headed by General Efraín Ríos Montt. The general ruled for a brief but bloody 17 months before being overthrown by his defense minister General Oscar Mejia Victores in another coup.

Coup attempt

Following the March 7 elections which were widely seen as rigged in favor of the government-backed candidate Angel Anibal Guevara, dissatisfied junior army and air force officers who wanted free elections and a civilian president began planning a coup to prevent Anibal's rise to power, who was scheduled to be inaugurated as president on July 1.[1]

About 19 military officers, along with Lionel Sisniga Otero, Vice-presidential candidate for the National Liberation Movement (MLN) in the March elections, participated in the plotting of the coup attempt for eight days.[1] During that period, they managed to gain the support of top air force officials and elite army brigades.[1] On March 23, 1982, the coup was finally launched at around 4 am. The 2000-strong rebel force,[2] who identified each other through specific uniform modifications,[1] successfully surrounded the presidential palace and forced the resignation of President Romeo Lucas Garcia in a near-bloodless manner. He was taken to the international airport and left Guatemala shortly after.[2] Meanwhile, just three hours after the start of the coup attempt, Lionel Sisniga announced the coup on a seized radio station to the nation, declaring intentions for new elections to be held.[1]

Following the successful coup attempt, General Efraín Ríos Montt was summoned to the National Palace, chosen to lead as he was once the Military Academy's dean and thus respected by many in the army.[1] There, he was named head of a three-man military junta; the two other members of the junta were General Horacio Maldonado Shad and Colonel Francisco Gordillo.[2] In the evening,[1] General Ríos Montt made his first nationwide address, promising "peace, work, and security." for the nation.[2] He further announced the dissolution of the congress and stated the junta will rule by decree.[2] The coup plotters, who had expected a civilian-military junta and immediate elections, became disillusioned as their hopes were dashed.[1] The general diminished the role of civilian participants after taking charge, including Lionel Sisniga, who was sidelined.[1] This was due in part because Sisniga's party the MLN "stole" General Ríos Montt's victory in the 1974 elections, which were perceived to be fraudulent.[1]

Post-coup

During Ríos Montt's reign between March 23, 1982, to August 8, 1983, Ríos Montt initiated a crackdown on the newly formed Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG), an umbrella organization composed of Marxist guerilla groups.[3] He launched extermination campaigns against both leftist rebels and indigenous people. Under his rule, the army and its paramilitary units systematically destroyed over 600 villages.[4] Approximately 200,000 people died or disappeared, 1.5 million were displaced, and over 150,000 immigrated to Mexico. The Commission for Historical Clarification reported that 93% of the violence which occurred during this period were state sponsored while the guerillas were responsible for 3%.[5] 83% of the victims were Mayan while 17% were Latino.[5] This period is referred to as the "Silent Holocaust."[4]

Unable to gain the support of key power holders in Guatemala, such as wealthy landowners, conservative politicians, and army officers, he was deposed on August 8, 1983, by defense minister General Meíja Víctores.[6] Contributing factors to his downfall included his erratic behavior and religious zealotry, a declining economy, and a deteriorating human rights record.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bonner, Raymond; Times, Special To the New York (1982-03-29). "BEHIND THE GUATEMALA COUP: A GENERAL TAKES OVER AND CHANGES ITS COURSE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Dissident Officers Claim Control in Guatemalan Coup". Washington Post. 2023-12-25. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  3. ^ "Timeline: Guatemala's Brutal Civil War". PBS NewsHour. 2011-03-07. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  4. ^ a b "The Guatemala Genocide Case – CJA". Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  5. ^ a b "Violence and Genocide in Guatemala | Genocide Studies Program". gsp.yale.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  6. ^ a b Schlesinger, Stephen C. (1983-08-11). "Opinion | GUATEMALA'S COUP II". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
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