24th President of Guatemala. A member of Guatemala's Revolutionary Action Party he served as president from 15 March 1945 to 15 March 1951. Prior to becoming president, his early schooling was in Guatemala City. He was then educated at the University of Guatemala and the University of La Plata in Argentina from 1928–34, where he received a doctorate degree in philosophy. He then served in the Guatemalan Ministry of Education in 1936. He travelled to Europe and eventually returned to Argentina where he taught in several universities and wrote books on teaching. After the revolution in 1944 toppled the existing Guatemalan government, he returned to Guatemala and became a presidential candidate for the revolutionary parties. He was easily elected president in December 1944 with 85 percent of the vote. He is best remembered for being Guatemala's first democratically elected president and for promoting legislation enacting a social security law, a labor code, and the Institute for the Development of Production as well as statutes regulating banking and monetary practices and the national airlines. His administration was marked by significant social welfare legislation, Communist infiltration of labor unions, and friction with the United States. After the revolution of 1954 he went into exile and wrote books extremely critical of United States policy in Latin America. He was intending to run for president again in 1963 but an army revolution occurred and the elections were cancelled. While still in exile he was appointed ambassador to Chile in January 1969. From 1970 to 1972 he served as ambassador to France.
24th President of Guatemala. A member of Guatemala's Revolutionary Action Party he served as president from 15 March 1945 to 15 March 1951. Prior to becoming president, his early schooling was in Guatemala City. He was then educated at the University of Guatemala and the University of La Plata in Argentina from 1928–34, where he received a doctorate degree in philosophy. He then served in the Guatemalan Ministry of Education in 1936. He travelled to Europe and eventually returned to Argentina where he taught in several universities and wrote books on teaching. After the revolution in 1944 toppled the existing Guatemalan government, he returned to Guatemala and became a presidential candidate for the revolutionary parties. He was easily elected president in December 1944 with 85 percent of the vote. He is best remembered for being Guatemala's first democratically elected president and for promoting legislation enacting a social security law, a labor code, and the Institute for the Development of Production as well as statutes regulating banking and monetary practices and the national airlines. His administration was marked by significant social welfare legislation, Communist infiltration of labor unions, and friction with the United States. After the revolution of 1954 he went into exile and wrote books extremely critical of United States policy in Latin America. He was intending to run for president again in 1963 but an army revolution occurred and the elections were cancelled. While still in exile he was appointed ambassador to Chile in January 1969. From 1970 to 1972 he served as ambassador to France.
Bio by: letemrip
Advertisement
See more Arévalo memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
