Complete Thesis_double spaced abstract.pdf

Ramiro de Leon Carpio, the former Human Rights Ombudsman was appointed president
of Guatemala by the National Congress in 1993 after President Serrano was removed by the
military from office and flees the country. De Leon enjoyed initial support from a broad base; he
was able to return the state to the official peace negotiations monitored by the United Nations. In
1994 the Commission for the Historical Clarification (CEH) and the United Nations Verification
Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) was established. He also signed a pledge with the National
Congress to reform the constitution and to hold elections in 1995. Elections were held in 1995
and Alvaro Arzu Irigoyen was elected.
From 1950 through 1995 there were twenty-one separate administrations that governed
Guatemala. Between 1950 and 1995 sixteen administrations were military-authoritarian, four
were considered democratic with civilians holding office and one was a civilian holding a
transitional office. Ten of the administrations ended in a coup, although many more coups were
unsuccessful. Two of the civilian administrations (Méndez and Cerezo) operated with very
limited control over the state. One of the remaining civilian presidency’s (Serrano) ended with an
attempt by the president to seize power. Each administration in Guatemala from 1950-1995 was
either part of the military or was unable or unwilling to exert complete control over the military.
Additionally, the twenty-one administrations appear to be equally powerless to influence the
elites in a manner they were not already inclined to support. Corruption and impunity were
rampant throughout the period, although there notable periods where the levels are elevated
(Lucas). In nearly every administration the social, political, economic perspective of the
indigenous population was completely disregarded.
Controlled Variable: Foreign Intervention
The United States continued to influence Guatemala during the 1950s similar to the
patterns established in the first half of the century. The most dramatic example of external
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