2/7/2017 CarlosEnriqueDazdeLenWikipedia

CarlosEnriqueDazdeLen
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CarlosEnriqueDazdeLenwastheprovisionalPresident
ofGuatemalafrom27Juneto29June1954.[1]Hewas HisExcellency
replacedbyamilitaryjuntaledbyElfegoMonzn.Carlos Colonel
EnriqueDazwaspreviouslyChiefoftheGuatemalan CarlosEnriqueDazdeLen
ArmedForcesunderPresidentJacoborbenz.[2] 25thPresidentofGuatemala
Inoffice
27June1954[1]29June1954[1]
Contents
Precededby Jacoborbenz
1 Earlycareer Succeededby ElfegioMonzn
2 1954Guatemalancoup
Personaldetails
3 Presidency
4 References Nationality Guatemalan
5 Sources Politicalparty Military
Occupation Militarygeneral

Earlycareer
Dazhadbefriendedrbenzwhiletheywerebothatthemilitaryacademy.[3]DazservedintheGuatemalan
army,andeventuallyattainedtherankofColonel.[1]rbenzandDazremainedfriendsafterrbenzbecame
presidentin1951,[3]andservedashischiefofarmedforces.[1]In1954theCIAintensifiedoperationsagainst
therbenzgovernment.Duringthisphase,anattemptwasmadetobribeDaz:hewasoffered200,000US
dollarstoactagainstrbenz.Herefused,possiblybecausetheofferwasmadewhenhewasvisitingCaracas
withhismistress,andexpectedtogounrecognized.[4]

1954Guatemalancoup
On18June1954,CarlosCastilloArmasledaninvasionofGuatemalawithasmallforceofGuatemalanexiles,
aspartoftheUSCentralIntelligenceAgency's"OperationPBSUCESS"tooverthrowrbenz.[5]Theinvasion
wasaccompaniedbyanintensecampaignofpsychologicalwarfarepresentingCastilloArmas'victoryasafait
accompli,withtheintentofforcingrbenztoresign.[6]rbenz'initialintentionwastorepelaninvasionforce
ledbyCarlosCastilloArmasbyarmingthemilitaryagepopulace,theworkers'militia,andtheGuatemalan
Army.However,Daz,aschiefoftheGuatemalanarmedforces,informedrbenzthatarmingthecivilians
wouldbeunpopularwithinthearmy,andthat"thearmy[would]doitsduty."[7]

Duetothisadvice,rbenzinsteadaskedDaztoselectofficerstoleadacounterattack.Dazselectedacorps
ofofficersknowntobemenofpersonalintegrity,andwhowereloyaltothepresident.[7]rbenzalsotriedto
usediplomaticmethodstoputanendtheinvasion.[8]OutsideZacapa,asmallgarrisonof30Guatemalan
soldiersdefeatedarebelforceof180,makingrbenzbelievethatamilitaryvictorywaspossible.[8]Inreality,
however,thethreatofaUSintervention,andthepsychologicalwarfareemployedbytheCIA,hadleftthearmy
demoralized,andunwillingtofight.[9][10]rbenzwasinformedoftheunwillingnessofthearmytofightby
variousmeans,andon25Junedecidedtoarmthecivilianpopulationofthecapital.Dazagreedtocooperate,
alongwithseveralunionleaders,butnovolunteersappearedtotakeuparms.[11]Seeingthis,Dazbackedout
ofhisagreement,andbegantoconferwithothermilitaryleaders,includingElfegoMonznandJoseAngel
Sanchez,aboutseizingpower.[12]On26JuneDaztoldrbenzthathehadtriedtodistributeweapons,butthat
hedidnothavethecooperationoftroopleaders.[13]TheplottersspoketoUSambassadorJohnPeurifoy,who
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Enrique_D%C3%ADaz_de_Le%C3%B3n 1/3
2/7/2017 CarlosEnriqueDazdeLenWikipedia

agreedtocontactCastilloArmastoarrangeacessationofhostilities:Dazandhisallieswereunwillingtodeal
withCastilloArmasthemselves.Peurifoylearnedfromthemthattheywereplanningonseizingpoweron27
June.[12]

Presidency
On27June1954JacoborbenzmetwithDaz,andinformedhimthathewasresigning.[2]Historianshave
variouslysuggestedeitherthatattheurgingofPeurifoy,Dazactuallypersuadedrbenztoresign,[12]orthat
Dazdeliveredrbenzanultimatumfromseniorarmyofficers,demandingthatheresign.[14]HistorianJim
HandyhasstatedthatrbenzmadeDazpromisetoprotectthereformsoftheGuatemalanRevolution
nonetheless,hisresignationrepresentedtheendoftherevolutionforpracticalpurposes.[15]rbenzleftofficeat
8PM,afterrecordingaresignationspeechthatwasbroadcastontheradioanhourlater.[16]Immediately
afterward,Dazmadeanannouncementthathewouldbetakingoverthepresidencyinthenameofthe
GuatemalanRevolution,aandstatedthattheGuatemalanarmywouldstillfightagainstCastilloArmas'
invasion.[17]Nonetheless,Dazalsoorderedoperationagainstknowncommunistsevenbeforeheformallytook
power.[18]ThemilitaryjuntawhichtookoverconsistedofCarlosEnriqueDaz,ColonelH.ElfegoMonzn,
andColonelJoseAngelSnchez.[19][2]

USambassadorJohnPeurifoyhadencouragedDaztoacceptrbenz'resignation,andhadpromisedtocontact
CastilloArmastoarrangeaceasefireoncerbenzhadresigned.[2]However,hehadnotexpectedDaz,who
stillsupportedtheGuatemalanRevolution,toformamilitaryjuntaandkeepfighting.[2]Thisactionhadmade
himatargetofAllenDulles,directoroftheCIA,andJohnFosterDulles,theUSsecretaryofstate,who
decidedthattheyneededa"better"armyofficeraspresident.[2][20]

Acoupleofdayslater,Peurifoy,whohadplayedaroleintheorganizationofthecoup,informedDazthathe
wouldhavetoresignaccordingtotheCIAofficerwhospoketoDaz,thiswasbecausehewas"notconvenient
forAmericanforeignpolicy."[21][22]WitnesseslaterstatedthatDaz'removaltookplaceat4AMinDaz'
home.[23]Accordingtoeyewitnesses,Peurifoyworeashoulderholstertothemeeting,aswashiswontatthe
time.[2]PeurifoyharshlycriticizedDazforlettingrbenzcriticizetheUnitedStatesinhisresignationspeech.
Atthesametime,aU.S.trainedpilotbombedtheGuatemalanarmy'smainpowdermagazine,totryand
intimidateDaz.[24]DazsaidmuchlaterthatPeurifoyhadgivenhimwithalistofnames,claimingthatthe
peopleonitwereallcommunists,anddemandedthatallofthembeshotbythenextday.Dazsaidthathehad
refused,andthatthishadfurtherantagonizedPeurifoy.[25]Afterbeingberatedatthemeeting,hetoldPeurifoy
thathewouldresign,andthatheandSanchezwouldwithdrawfromthejunta.[24]Monznthenenteredand
announcedthathewasformingthenewjunta.[23]TheothermembersofMonzn'sjuntawereJosLuisCruz
SalazarandMauricioDubois.[19]LifemagazinedescribedMonznashaving"amoreimpressiveanti
Communistrecord"thanDaz.[26]

References
1.Lentz,HarrisM.(2014).HeadsofStatesandGovernmentsSince1945.Routledge.pp.342343.ISBN9781134
264902.Retrieved3January2017.
2.Immerman1982,p.174.
3.Cullather2006,p.20.
4.Cullather2006,p.69.
5.Cullather2006,pp.8789.
6.Immerman1982,p.165.
7.Gleijeses1992,pp.320323.
8.Gleijeses1992,pp.326329.
9.Gleijeses1992,pp.326335.
10.Cullather2006,p.97.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Enrique_D%C3%ADaz_de_Le%C3%B3n 2/3
2/7/2017 CarlosEnriqueDazdeLenWikipedia

11.Cullather2006,p.100.
12.Cullather2006,p.101.
13.Schlesinger&Kinzer1999,p.190.
14.Schlesinger&Kinzer1999,p.194.
15.Handy,Jim(October1989)."org"ASeaofIndians":EthnicConflictandtheGuatemalanRevolution,19441952".
TheAmericas.46(2).
16.Gleijeses1992,pp.345349.
17.Cullather2006,pp.102105.
18.Schlesinger&Kinzer1999,p.197.
19.McCleary1999,p.237.
20.Cullather2006,p.102.
21.Gleijeses1992,pp.354357.
22.Schlesinger&Kinzer1999,p.206.
23.Blasier,Cole(1985).TheHoveringGiant(RevisedEdition):U.S.ResponsestoRevolutionaryChangeinLatin
America,19101985.UniversityofPittsburghPress.ISBN9780822974314.Retrieved3January2017.
24.Immerman1982,p.175.
25.Schlesinger&Kinzer1999,pp.207208.
26."TheEndOfaTwelveDayCivilWar".Life.37(2):2122.12June1954.Retrieved3January2017.

Sources
Cullather,Nicholas(2006).SecretHistory:TheCIA'sclassifiedaccountofitsoperationsinGuatemala,
19521954.PaloAlto:StanfordUniversityPress.ISBN9780804754682.
Gleijeses,Piero(1992).ShatteredHope:TheGuatemalanRevolutionandtheUnitedStates,19441954.
PrincetonUniversityPress.ISBN9780691025568.
Immerman,RichardH.(1982).TheCIAinGuatemala:TheForeignPolicyofIntervention.Austin:
UniversityofTexasPress.
McCleary,RachelM.(1999).DictatingDemocracy:GuatemalaandtheEndofViolentRevolution.
UniversityPressofFlorida.ISBN9780813017266.Retrieved3January2017.
Schlesinger,StephenKinzer,Stephen(1999).BitterFruit:TheStoryoftheAmericanCoupin
Guatemala.DavidRockefellerCenterseriesonLatinAmericanstudies,HarvardUniversity.ISBN978
0674019300.

Politicaloffices
Succeededby
Precededby PresidentofGuatemala
ElfegoMonzn
Jacoborbenz 1954
(MilitaryJunta)

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Categories: PresidentsofGuatemala 1915births 1971deaths GuatemalanRevolution

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