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.