Juan Bautista Sacasa
Encyclopedia
Juan Bautista Sacasa Sacasa (León, Nicaragua
, 21 December 1874 - Los Angeles
, Los Angeles County
, California
, 1946) was the President
of Nicaragua
from 1 January 1933 to 9 June 1936. He was the eldest son of Roberto Sacasa
, 44th and 46th President of Nicaragua, and wife and cousin Ángela Sacasa Cuadra. He was a relative of Benjamín Sacasa
, 67th President of Nicaragua.
Born in the town of León
, Sacasa studied in the United States
from 1889 to 1901, earning an M.D.
from Columbia University
. He served as a professor and dean of faculty at the National University in León, and was a supporter of the Liberal regime of José Santos Zelaya
. In 1924, Sacasa became a member of a political coalition headed by moderate Conservative Carlos Solórzano
. Shortly afterwards, the detachment of U.S. Marines which had remained in Nicaragua
for thirteen years withdrew, believing that the political situation was stable. In October 1925, the government of Solórzano
was overthrown in a coup by former President General Emiliano Chamorro, who failed to gain U.S. recognition and subsequently resigned in favor of Adolfo Díaz
. In the meantime, Sacasa fled to Mexico
.
Following an uprising by Liberal soldiers in Puerto Cabezas
, on the Caribbean coast, Sacasa returned to Nicaragua
in 1926. Asserting his claim as constitutional president, he established a government in Puerto Cabezas
. Supplied by Mexico with arms and munitions, the Liberal rebels, under the command of General José María Moncada
, nearly succeeded in capturing Managua
. However, the U.S. forced the two warring parties to enter into negotiations, resulting in the Pact of Espino Negro
, which required that both sides would disarm and Díaz
would be allowed to finish his term. Sacasa reluctantly agreed to accept the agreement and withdraw his claim to the presidency, but refused to sign the pact and left the country; leaving Moncada to sign the pact on Sacasa's behalf. Over the next six years, a formerly obscure Liberal general named Augusto Sandino would lead a guerilla war against the U.S. Marines, who had remained in the country to enforce the agreement.
In 1932, Sacasa was elected President. He took office on January 1, 1933, the day before the scheduled departure of the Marines. At the insistence of the U.S. Ambassador, he named Anastasio Somoza García
, who was married to one of his nieces, as director of the Guardia Nacional
(National Guard). The following month, Sacasa met with the rebel leader Sandino, during which Sandino pledged his loyalty to the new government in exchange for amnesty and land for his followers. Sandino continued to call for the disbanding of the National Guard
and, in February 1934, he was assassinated under orders from Somoza
. Despite Sacasa's disapproval, he proved unable to contain the growing power of Somoza
and the National Guard
. His popularity continued to diminish as Nicaragua's fragile economy suffered the collapse of coffee prices due to the Great Depression
and allegations of widespread fraud surfaced the 1934 congressional elections. Meanwhile, Somoza's power continued to grow, and he cultivated ties with former presidents Moncada and Chamorro. Early in 1936, Somoza used the National Guard to purge local officials loyal to the president and replace them with his associates. On June 6, he forced Sacasa to resign, appointing a series of puppet presidents before assuming the presidency himself the following year. Afterwards, Sacasa fled into exile in the U.S., living in Los Angeles
until his death ten years later.
He married María Argüello Manning, a cousin of Leonardo Argüello, 66th President of Nicaragua, and had:
León, Nicaragua
León is a department in northwestern Nicaragua . It is also the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the Spaniards as Santiago de los Caballeros de León and rivals Granada, Nicaragua, in the number of historic Spanish colonial homes and churches...
, 21 December 1874 - Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 1946) was the President
President of Nicaragua
The position of President of Nicaragua was created in the Constitution of 1854. From 1825 until the Constitution of 1838 the title of the position was known as Head of State and from 1838 to 1854 as Supreme Director .-Heads of State of Nicaragua within the Federal Republic of Central America...
of Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
from 1 January 1933 to 9 June 1936. He was the eldest son of Roberto Sacasa
Roberto Sacasa
Roberto Sacasa Sarria was the President of Nicaragua from 5 August 1889 to 1 January 1891 and again the 46th from 1 March 1891 to 11 July 1893.-Ancestry:...
, 44th and 46th President of Nicaragua, and wife and cousin Ángela Sacasa Cuadra. He was a relative of Benjamín Sacasa
Benjamín Lacayo Sacasa
Benjamín Lacayo Sacasa was the President of Nicaragua from 27 May to 15 August 1947.He was a relative of Silvestre Selva, 17th President of Nicaragua, Roberto Sacasa, 44th and 46th President, and his son Juan Bautista Sacasa, 63rd President, as well as a cousin of Roberto Martínez Lacayo, 74th and...
, 67th President of Nicaragua.
Born in the town of León
León, Nicaragua
León is a department in northwestern Nicaragua . It is also the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the Spaniards as Santiago de los Caballeros de León and rivals Granada, Nicaragua, in the number of historic Spanish colonial homes and churches...
, Sacasa studied in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1889 to 1901, earning an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He served as a professor and dean of faculty at the National University in León, and was a supporter of the Liberal regime of José Santos Zelaya
José Santos Zelaya
José Santos Zelaya López was the President of Nicaragua from 25 July 1893 to 21 December 1909.-Early life:He was a son of José María Zelaya Irigoyen, born in Nicaragua, and mistress Juana López Ramírez...
. In 1924, Sacasa became a member of a political coalition headed by moderate Conservative Carlos Solórzano
Carlos José Solórzano
Carlos José Solórzano Gutiérrez was the President of Nicaragua between 1 January 1925 and 14 March 1926.-Biography:...
. Shortly afterwards, the detachment of U.S. Marines which had remained in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
for thirteen years withdrew, believing that the political situation was stable. In October 1925, the government of Solórzano
Carlos José Solórzano
Carlos José Solórzano Gutiérrez was the President of Nicaragua between 1 January 1925 and 14 March 1926.-Biography:...
was overthrown in a coup by former President General Emiliano Chamorro, who failed to gain U.S. recognition and subsequently resigned in favor of Adolfo Díaz
Adolfo Díaz
Adolfo Díaz Recinos was the President of Nicaragua between 9 May 1911 and 1 January 1917 and between 14 November 1926 and 1 January 1929...
. In the meantime, Sacasa fled to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Following an uprising by Liberal soldiers in Puerto Cabezas
Puerto Cabezas
Puerto Cabezas is a municipality in, and capital of, the North Atlantic Coast department of Nicaragua....
, on the Caribbean coast, Sacasa returned to Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
in 1926. Asserting his claim as constitutional president, he established a government in Puerto Cabezas
Puerto Cabezas
Puerto Cabezas is a municipality in, and capital of, the North Atlantic Coast department of Nicaragua....
. Supplied by Mexico with arms and munitions, the Liberal rebels, under the command of General José María Moncada
José María Moncada Tapia
José María Moncada Tapia was the President of Nicaragua from 1 January 1929 to 1 January 1933.- Political career :...
, nearly succeeded in capturing Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
. However, the U.S. forced the two warring parties to enter into negotiations, resulting in the Pact of Espino Negro
Pact of Espino Negro
Pact of Espino Negro was an agreement developed by the United States to resolve the political conflict in Nicaragua-Background:In 1924, moderate conservative Carlos Solórzano was elected president of Nicaragua and Juan Bautista Sacasa, who had served as Vice-President under overthrown President...
, which required that both sides would disarm and Díaz
Adolfo Díaz
Adolfo Díaz Recinos was the President of Nicaragua between 9 May 1911 and 1 January 1917 and between 14 November 1926 and 1 January 1929...
would be allowed to finish his term. Sacasa reluctantly agreed to accept the agreement and withdraw his claim to the presidency, but refused to sign the pact and left the country; leaving Moncada to sign the pact on Sacasa's behalf. Over the next six years, a formerly obscure Liberal general named Augusto Sandino would lead a guerilla war against the U.S. Marines, who had remained in the country to enforce the agreement.
In 1932, Sacasa was elected President. He took office on January 1, 1933, the day before the scheduled departure of the Marines. At the insistence of the U.S. Ambassador, he named Anastasio Somoza García
Anastasio Somoza García
Anastasio Somoza García was officially the President of Nicaragua from 1 January 1937 to 1 May 1947 and from 21 May 1950 to 29 September 1956, but ruled effectively as dictator from 1936 until his assassination.-Biography:Somoza was born in San Marcos, Carazo Department in Nicaragua, the son of...
, who was married to one of his nieces, as director of the Guardia Nacional
National Guard (Nicaragua)
In Nicaragua, the National Guard was a militia and a gendarmerie created during the occupation of that country by the United States from 1909 to 1933. It became notorious for human rights abuses and corruption under the regime of the Somoza family.-Creation:...
(National Guard). The following month, Sacasa met with the rebel leader Sandino, during which Sandino pledged his loyalty to the new government in exchange for amnesty and land for his followers. Sandino continued to call for the disbanding of the National Guard
National Guard (Nicaragua)
In Nicaragua, the National Guard was a militia and a gendarmerie created during the occupation of that country by the United States from 1909 to 1933. It became notorious for human rights abuses and corruption under the regime of the Somoza family.-Creation:...
and, in February 1934, he was assassinated under orders from Somoza
Somoza
The Somoza family was an influential political dynasty who ruled Nicaragua as an hereditary dictatorship. Their influence exceeded their combined 43 years in the de facto presidency, as they were the power behind the other presidents of the time through their control of the National Guard...
. Despite Sacasa's disapproval, he proved unable to contain the growing power of Somoza
Somoza
The Somoza family was an influential political dynasty who ruled Nicaragua as an hereditary dictatorship. Their influence exceeded their combined 43 years in the de facto presidency, as they were the power behind the other presidents of the time through their control of the National Guard...
and the National Guard
National Guard (Nicaragua)
In Nicaragua, the National Guard was a militia and a gendarmerie created during the occupation of that country by the United States from 1909 to 1933. It became notorious for human rights abuses and corruption under the regime of the Somoza family.-Creation:...
. His popularity continued to diminish as Nicaragua's fragile economy suffered the collapse of coffee prices due to the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and allegations of widespread fraud surfaced the 1934 congressional elections. Meanwhile, Somoza's power continued to grow, and he cultivated ties with former presidents Moncada and Chamorro. Early in 1936, Somoza used the National Guard to purge local officials loyal to the president and replace them with his associates. On June 6, he forced Sacasa to resign, appointing a series of puppet presidents before assuming the presidency himself the following year. Afterwards, Sacasa fled into exile in the U.S., living in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
until his death ten years later.
He married María Argüello Manning, a cousin of Leonardo Argüello, 66th President of Nicaragua, and had:
- Maruca Sacasa Argüello
- Carlos Sacasa Arguello
- Roberto Sacasa Arguello
- Gloria Sacasa Arguello