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Presidential elections were held inEl Salvador on 21 January 1939. The election wasindirect rather than being held through apopular vote. TheNational Constitutional Assembly elected GeneralMaximiliano Hernández Martínez, the incumbentpresident of El Salvador, to a third presidential term that would last from 1939 to 1945. He was the only candidate and won unopposed.
Martínez was constitutionally ineligible to run for re-election in 1939, so the year prior, he and theNational Pro Patria Party (PNPP) heldopen cabildos across El Salvador and reported that the citizenry overwhelmingly supported amending the constitution to allow Martínez to be re-elected. Some politicians and military officers opposed Martínez's re-election. They spread propaganda calling for his resignation and even attempted a coup in January 1939. On 20 January 1939, the National Constitutional Assembly approved a new constitution, and the following day, it unanimously re-elected Martínez to a six-year term.
GeneralMaximiliano Hernández Martínez becamePresident of El Salvador in December 1931 after acoup d'état overthrew PresidentArturo Araujo.[1] Martínez solidified his position in January 1932 after suppressing an uprising and killing between 10,000 and 40,000 people in mass killings known asLa Matanza.[2] Martínez won the1935 presidential election unopposed with 329,555 on 77 percent turnout.[3]
"Pro-Patria Delegation was opened last night amidst fevered regalia. Last night conferences were held in the central plaza and a reception was given in the Central Hotel. Today the conferences continue with the goal of holding the public session of thecabildo abierto. In unison the citizens agree with out patriotic ideals."
"It is time that the head of this [constitutional] pact be convinced that the devotion to democracy in El Salvador is a tangible fact. General Martínez should not stain our fatherland with fresh blood. He should respect the prevailing Constitution. He should avoid causing the people of El Salvador to remain downtrodden forever."
Ahead of the 1939 election, Martínez decided to be elected by the legislature in anindirect election instead of through apopular vote like in 1935. According to historian Erik Ching, Martínez chose to do this as he was "aware of growing opposition to his political monopoly".[6] In order to be re-elected, however, Martínez had to amend the 1886 constitution as it prohibited re-election.[7]
In July 1938,open cabildos were held across El Salvador where citizens would meet at town halls and approve proposed constitutional changes. TheNational Pro Patria Party (PNPP), Martínez's political party, organized the meetings and reported that the citizenry was in unanimous support of the proposed changes despite no voting actually taking place.[4]
While the PNPP reported that Salvadoran citizens overwhelmingly supported the constitutional reforms, there were political leaders that opposed Martínez's re-election. Among them included Sub-Secretary of Public Works Manuel López Harrison, Sub-Secretary of Government Hermógenes Alvarado, Sub-Secretary of Public Instruction David Rosales, and Sub-Secretary of War Colonel Ascencio Menéndez.[5] In October 1938, a so-called "Civilian-Military Association" spread propaganda posters acrossSanta Ana calling for Martínez's resignation.[6] In January 1939, Menéndez led an attempted coup against Martínez's government but it failed. The conspirators were exiled to France and Mexico.[8]
TheNational Constitutional Assembly approved the new constitution on 20 January 1939.[9] Most of the new constitutional was identical to the 1886 constitution. One of the most notable differences regards article 92 that mandates that the National Constitutional Assembly would elect the next president and that whoever they elect would be exempted from article 94 that banned re-election. It also increased the lengths of presidential terms from four to six years.[7]
On 21 January 1939, the National Constitutional Assembly convened to elect El Salvador's president for the 1939–1945 term. The assembly unanimously voted to re-elected Martínez as President.[10]
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximiliano Hernández Martínez | National Pro Patria Party | 42 | 100.00 | |
| Total | 42 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 42 | 100.00 | ||
| Source: Diario Oficial 1939, p. 177 | ||||
Martínez was inaugurated for his third term on 1 March 1939.[11] Martínez was re-elected by the legislature to another six-year term in1944[12] but he was forced to resign on 8 May 1944 during theStrike of Fallen Arms, a student protest that opposed his government. Martínez subsequently fled El Salvador on 11 May.[13]
Indirect elections are indicated with asterisks (*),direct elections later decided by the legislature are indicated with carets (^), and elections prior to independence are indicated with the number sign (#). Future elections are initalics. | |
| Presidential elections | |
| Legislative elections | |
| Local elections | |
