Anastasio Somoza García

Anastasio Somoza García, born on February 1, 1896, was a prominent Nicaraguan politician who led the country from 1936 until his assassination in 1956. He officially served as the 21st President of Nicaragua from January 1, 1937, to May 1, 1947, and again from May 21, 1950, until his death on September 29, 1956. His rule was characterized by a family dictatorship that lasted for forty-two years, with Somoza at the helm as both an elected president and an unelected military dictator.

The son of a wealthy coffee planter, Somoza received his education in the United States. Upon returning to Nicaragua, he played a crucial role in the ousting of President Adolfo Díaz. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the foreign secretary and earning the title of 'General.' With the backing of the U.S. Marine Corps, which was occupying Nicaragua at the time, Somoza seized control of the National Guard, enabling him to remove his wife's uncle, Juan Bautista Sacasa, from the presidency and assume power himself.

In 1947, although an ally nominally succeeded him, Somoza retained significant influence. Just a month after his successor's inauguration, he orchestrated a military coup, leading Congress to declare the president 'incapacitated.' Somoza returned to power in his own right in 1950, maintaining a tight grip on the Nationalist Liberal Party and forming an alliance with the Conservatives, which effectively eliminated any opposition. This consolidation of power allowed him to amass a substantial personal fortune.

On September 21, 1956, Somoza was shot by poet Rigoberto López Pérez. Mortally wounded, he was transported to the Panama Canal Zone, where he succumbed to his injuries a week later. Following his death, his eldest son, Luis Somoza Debayle, who was serving as speaker of the House, assumed the role of acting president and was later elected in his own right in 1957. He held the presidency until 1963 and continued to exert influence over subsequent puppet presidents until his death in 1967. Somoza's youngest son, Anastasio Somoza Debayle, was elected to serve until 1972 and remained the real power behind a nominally bipartisan junta until his reelection in 1974. However, he was forced to resign in 1979 and was assassinated in exile in Paraguay the following year.