| 1972 Salvadoran coup attempt | |||||||
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.png) Map of El Salvador | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Armed Forces (rebels) | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 200 dead | |||||||
The1972 Salvadoran coup attempt occurred from 25 to 26 March 1972 when young military officers attempted to overthrow the government ofFidel Sánchez Hernández, prevent the presidency ofArturo Armando Molina, and proclaimJosé Napoleón Duarte asPresident of El Salvador. The coup was suppressed and its leaders were exiled from the country.
The1972 Salvadoran presidential election was scheduled for 20 February 1972.[1][2] The rulingNational Conciliation Party (PCN) selected ColonelArturo Armando Molina as its candidate for the election while theNational Opposition Union (UNO), a coalition of theChristian Democratic Party, theNational Revolutionary Movement, and theNationalist Democratic Union, selectedJosé Napoleón Duarte as its candidate.[3]
The election of 1972 was compared to the1970 Chilean presidential election wheresocialist candidateSalvador Allende was elected asPresident ofChile.[3] The rulingmilitary dictatorship was concerned about the influence of theCommunist Party of El Salvador (PCES) and theCatholic Church in national politics and they believed that Duarte and other members of UNO hadcommunist sympathies.[3]
On election day, the PCN expected to win the election, but Duarte over-performed inSan Salvador and offset the PCN's rural stronghold.[2] Poll watchers claimed the final vote tally to count 327,000 votes for Duarte and 318,000 votes for Molina.[2] The government suspended the results of the election and instructed theLegislative Assembly to elect the President.[2] The PCN had an overwhelming majority in the Legislative Assembly and elected Molina as president on 25 February, effectively canceling the election.[2][4]
The Military Youth of El Salvador did not approve of the result of the election and attempted to revert the decision of the Legislative Assembly.[2] On the morning of 25 March, ColonelBenjamin Mejía declared that the Military Youth was in rebellion, including the Artillery Regiment and the barracks of San Carlos and El Zapote, and announced the establishment of the Revolutionary Junta.[2][5] The Revolutionary Junta intended to install Duarte asPresident of El Salvador, deposing incumbent PresidentFidel Sánchez Hernández whose term would expire on 1 July.[2][5] Sánchez Hernández was taken hostage by the Military Youth, but they had failed to gather the support of the rest of theArmed Forces of El Salvador.[2] TheSalvadoran Air Force began bombing the capital and rebel positions, and although there were some protestors in favor of the rebels, there were more protesting in favor of the government.[2] Duarte made a radio broadcast at noon calling for civilians to evacuateSan Salvador, but his broadcast failed to evoke a reaction from the citizens.[2] Duarte sought refuge in theVenezuelan embassy in San Salvador but he was eventually captured by theNational Security Agency of El Salvador (ANSESAL) after they broke into the embassy.[6] The coup failed by the next day.[7]
After the coup, Duarte was tortured and exiled toGuatemala, and later to Venezuela.[7] Mejía was exiled and later assassinated in 1981 by forces of theRevolutionary Government Junta.[5] Molina assumed office on 1 July and would rule the nation until 1977 when he was succeeded byCarlos Humberto Romero.[8]
