Mario Sandoval Alarcón Explained

Mario Sandoval Alarcón
Office:Vice President of Guatemala
Termstart:1 July 1974
Birth Date:18 May 1923
Termend:1 July 1978
Predecessor:Eduardo Cáceres
Successor:Francisco Villagrán Kramer
President:Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García
Party:MLN
Birth Place:Guatemala City
Awards:Order of the Sun of Peru

Mario Sandoval Alarcón (May 18, 1923 – April 17, 2003) was a Guatemalan politician who served as vice president of Guatemala from 1974 to 1978 under Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García. A member and founder of the political party, Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional, Sandoval served as President of the Congress from 1970 to 1974.

Biography

He is the founder in 1960 of the Movimiento de Liberación Nacional (MLN) which was a nationalist, anti-communist political party. As part of the MLN, he played a role in the widespread murders committed by the Mano Blanca death squadrons [1] . In 1954, he helped support colonel Carlos Castillo's coup against Jacobo Árbenz.

He served as President of the Congress from 1970 to 1974,[2] when he was sworn in as the Vice President.

Sandoval served as Vice President from 1 July 1974 to 1 July 1978 during the presidency of Kjell Laugerud.[3] [4] During his time as vicepresident he helped president Kjell after the 1976 earthquake that affected a great part of the country. In 1982, he placed second in that year's presidential election. He was unsuccessful again three years later, in 1985.

Sandoval was a leader of the World Anti-Communist League (WACL)[5] . His aversion to communism and methods for fighting against it was passed on to some of his followers, one of whom was Roberto D'Aubuisson, founder of El Salvador's Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) party [6] .

Notes and References

  1. Book: Perera . Victor . Unfinished Conquest: The Guatemalan Tragedy . 1993 . University of California Press . Berkeley and Los Angeles, California . 0-520-20349-6 . 45.
  2. Web site: Diario de Centro America. PDF. Congreso.gob.gt. 12 February 2019.
  3. Web site: Figura vicepresidencial se ha opacado por funciones de Primera Dama. 29 October 2009.
  4. Web site: Biografía política de Guatemala. 1993. Francisco Villagrán Kramer.
  5. News: Anderson . Jack . Latin Terrorists' Leader Retains Support of CIA . 21 November 2024 . Washington Post . 30 January 1984.
  6. Book: Perera . Victor . Unfinished Conquest: The Guatemalan Tragedy . 1993 . University of California Press . Berkeley and Los Angeles, California . 0-520-20349-6 . 45.