Manuel Estrada Cabrera

Manuel José Estrada Cabrera (November 21, 1857 – September 24, 1924) is President of Guatemala from 1898 to 1920.

He is a lawyer with no military background and as President, he is a strong ruler, who modernizes the country's industry and transport, but only by granting concessions to the American-owned United Fruit Company, whose influence on the government is felt by many to be excessive.

Estrada Cabrera uses increasingly brutal methods to assert his authority, including armed strike-breaking, and the general elections are effectively controlled by him.

He retains power for twenty-two years through controlled elections in 1904, 1910, and 1916, and is eventually removed from office when the national assembly declares him mentally incompetent, and he is jailed for corruption.

No related events match the current filters.