Fernando Romeo Lucas García
Encyclopedia
Fernando Romeo Lucas García (b. San Juan Chamelco
, Alta Verapaz
, 4 July 1924 – d. Puerto la Cruz
, Venezuela
, 27 May 2006) was the 25th President
of Guatemala
from 1 July 1978 to 23 March 1982. Although he was democratically elected as Institutional Democratic Party
candidate (with the support of the Revolutionary Party
), during General Lucas' regime political repression and assassinations of major progressive opposition figures (former progressive Mayor Manuel Colom
and Social Democrat Party founder Alberto Fuentes
in 1979) reached an alarming high. He was president during Spanish embassy fire in Guatemala City
on 31 January 1980, in which 37 people died. Later, about a year before he resigned from presidency, he took charge in starting the Guatemalan Genocide. His vice president
, Francisco Villagrán
, resigned on 1 September 1980, citing differences with Lucas and disapproval of the country's worsening human rights situation. US military and economic aid resumed under the Garcia government, despite a congressional embargo. Between FS 1978 and FS 1980, the U.S. provided $8.5 million in military assistance, mostly FMS
credit sales, and approximately $1.8 million in export licensing for commercial arms sales. In 1981, the Reagan Administration publicly announced the shipment of approximately $3.2 million in military vehicles and other supplies to the army, justifying these shipments by blaming the guerrillas for the violence perpetrated against civilians. In the final days of his regime, he was removed by a coup d'état
led by Gen. Efraín Ríos
In 1999 the Audiencia Nacional of Spain
began criminal proceedings for accusations of torture
and genocide
against the Maya
population after a formal petition introduced by Rigoberta Menchú
. However, the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal denied the extradition on 22 June 2005, arguing that the required evidence was not presented and lifted the house arrest.
He died in exile in Puerto la Cruz
, Venezuela
, where he had lived for 12 years with his wife Elsa Cirigliano, suffering from Alzheimers and various other ailments, at the age of 81.
San Juan Chamelco
San Juan Chamelco is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz. It is situated at 135 m above sea level. It covers a terrain of 80 km². The annual festival is on June 24.-External links:*...
, Alta Verapaz
Alta Verapaz
Alta Verapaz is a department in the north central part of Guatemala. The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered to the north by El Petén, to the east by Izabal, to the south by Zacapa, El Progreso, and Baja Verapaz, and to the west by El Quiché.Also in Alta Verapaz...
, 4 July 1924 – d. Puerto la Cruz
Puerto la Cruz
Puerto la Cruz is a port city located in Anzoátegui State, in Venezuela. It is the seat of the Juan Antonio Sotillo Municipality. The city has road connections to the state capital, Barcelona, to Lecheria and to Guanta, and has the potential to become the largest and most important metropolitan...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, 27 May 2006) was the 25th President
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...
of Guatemala
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...
from 1 July 1978 to 23 March 1982. Although he was democratically elected as Institutional Democratic Party
Institutional Democratic Party
The Institutional Democratic Party was a Guatemalan pro-government political party active during the 1970s.The PID was formed in 1963 by Enrique Peralta Azurdia after he had seized power in a coup. A centre-right party, it was modelled on the Mexican Institutional Revolutionary Party. From the...
candidate (with the support of the Revolutionary Party
Revolutionary Party (Guatemala)
The Revolutionary Party was the ruling Guatemalan political party from 1966 to 1970.The party was founded in 1957 by Mario Méndez Montenegro and, although on the moderate left it was claimed that during the early 1960s the country's communists had adopted a policy of entryism towards the PR and...
), during General Lucas' regime political repression and assassinations of major progressive opposition figures (former progressive Mayor Manuel Colom
Manuel Colom Argueta
Manuel Colom Argueta was mayor of Guatemala City and an important progressive leader of the opposition in Guatemala....
and Social Democrat Party founder Alberto Fuentes
Alberto Fuentes Mohr
Alberto Fuentes Mohr was a Guatemalan economist and politician, one of the founders of the Social Democratic Party. He also served as finance minister and foreign minister during the 1960s.-Biography:...
in 1979) reached an alarming high. He was president during Spanish embassy fire in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
on 31 January 1980, in which 37 people died. Later, about a year before he resigned from presidency, he took charge in starting the Guatemalan Genocide. His vice president
Vice President of Guatemala
Vice President of Guatemala is a political position in Guatemala which is since 1966 elected concurrently with the position of President of Guatemala. Latest Vice President who took over as President was Gustavo Espina in 1993....
, Francisco Villagrán
Francisco Villagrán Kramer
Francisco Villagrán Kramer was a Guatemalan legal scholar and social democrat who served as vice president under General Romeo Lucas García beginning in 1978. He resigned from office on 1 September 1980, before his term ended, citing differences with the Lucas administration and disapproval of...
, resigned on 1 September 1980, citing differences with Lucas and disapproval of the country's worsening human rights situation. US military and economic aid resumed under the Garcia government, despite a congressional embargo. Between FS 1978 and FS 1980, the U.S. provided $8.5 million in military assistance, mostly FMS
FMS
-Government agencies:* Federal Magistrates Service, the former name of the Federal Magistrates' Court of Australia* Federated Malay States , historical British protectorate in then British Malaya...
credit sales, and approximately $1.8 million in export licensing for commercial arms sales. In 1981, the Reagan Administration publicly announced the shipment of approximately $3.2 million in military vehicles and other supplies to the army, justifying these shipments by blaming the guerrillas for the violence perpetrated against civilians. In the final days of his regime, he was removed by a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
led by Gen. Efraín Ríos
Efraín Ríos Montt
José Efraín Ríos Montt is a former de facto President of Guatemala, dictator, army general, and former president of Congress. In the 2003 presidential elections, he unsuccessfully ran as the candidate of the ruling Guatemalan Republican Front .Huehuetenango-born Ríos Montt remains one of the most...
In 1999 the Audiencia Nacional of Spain
Audiencia Nacional of Spain
The Audiencia Nacional is a a special and exceptional high court in Spain. It has its seat in Madrid and jurisdiction over all of Spain and international crimes which come under the competence of Spanish courts....
began criminal proceedings for accusations of torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
against the Maya
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
population after a formal petition introduced by Rigoberta Menchú
Rigoberta Menchú
Rigoberta Menchú Tum is an indigenous Guatemalan, of the K'iche' ethnic group. Menchú has dedicated her life to publicizing the plight of Guatemala's indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War , and to promoting indigenous rights in the country...
. However, the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal denied the extradition on 22 June 2005, arguing that the required evidence was not presented and lifted the house arrest.
He died in exile in Puerto la Cruz
Puerto la Cruz
Puerto la Cruz is a port city located in Anzoátegui State, in Venezuela. It is the seat of the Juan Antonio Sotillo Municipality. The city has road connections to the state capital, Barcelona, to Lecheria and to Guanta, and has the potential to become the largest and most important metropolitan...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, where he had lived for 12 years with his wife Elsa Cirigliano, suffering from Alzheimers and various other ailments, at the age of 81.