Jorge Ubico
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His Excellency General of Division Jorge Ubico Castañeda |
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|---|---|
Jorge Ubico in the 1930s.
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| 21st President of Guatemala | |
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In office February 14, 1931 – July 1, 1944 |
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| Preceded by | José María Reina |
| Succeeded by | Federico Ponce Vaides |
| 17th First Vice President of Guatemala | |
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In office April 28, 1922 – April 28, 1923 |
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| President | José María Orellana |
| Preceded by | José María Orellana |
| Succeeded by | Margarito Ariza |
| Secretary of War, and Chief of the Secret Police of Guatemala | |
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In office December 10, 1922 – December 20, 1923 |
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| President | José María Orellana |
| Preceded by | José Beteta |
| Succeeded by | Mauro de León |
| Secretary of Development of Guatemala | |
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In office January 2, 1920 – April 8, 1920 |
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| President | Manuel Estrada Cabrera |
| Preceded by | Joaquín Méndez |
| Succeeded by | Alberto Mencos |
| Leader of the Liberal Progressive Party of Guatemala | |
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In office 1926 – July 1, 1944 |
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| Preceded by | New position |
| Succeeded by | Federico Ponce Vaides |
| Governor of Retalhuleu | |
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In office 1901–1905 |
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| President | Manuel Estrada Cabrera |
| Governor of Alta Verapaz | |
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In office 1897–1901 |
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| President |
Manuel Estrada (since 1901) José Reina (until 1901) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 10, 1878 Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| Died | June 14, 1946 (aged 67) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Liberal Progressive Party |
| Spouse(s) | Marta Lainfiesta (m. 1905–46); his death |
| Profession | Soldier |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) |
Number Five Central America's Napoleon The beast of Guacamolon |
| Allegiance |
 Guatemala |
| Service/branch | Military of Guatemala |
| Years of service | 1896–1944 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | All (supreme commander) |
| Battles/wars |
War Totoposte (1903-06) 1921 Guatemalan coup d'état |
Jorge Ubico Castañeda (10 November 1878 – 14 June 1946), nicknamed Number Five (based on the letters of the name Jorge) or also Central America's Napoleon, was the authoritarian ruler of Guatemala from 14 February 1931 to 4 July 1944. A general in the Guatemalan army, he was elected to the presidency in 1931, in an election where he was the only candidate. He continued his predecessors' policies of giving massive concessions to the United Fruit Company and wealthy landowners, as well as supporting their harsh labor practices. He was removed by a pro-democracy uprising in 1944, which led to the ten-year Guatemalan Revolution.
Jorge Ubico was the son of Arturo Ubico Urruela, a lawyer and politician of the Guatemalan liberal party. Ubico Urruela was a member of the legislature that wrote the Guatemalan Constitution of 1879, and was subsequently the president of the Guatemalan Congress during the government of Manuel Estrada Cabrera (1898-1920). Jorge Ubico was privately tutored, and attended some of Guatemala's most prestigious schools, as well as receiving further education in the United States and Europe.
By 1897 Ubico received his commission into the Guatemalan army as a second lieutenant, a commissions which was largely due to his political connections. He rapidly established himself in the army and rose through the ranks, and, after a military campaign against El Salvador, held the rank of colonel at the age of 28. A year later, he was made the governor (jefe politico) of the province of Alta Verapaz, followed four years later as governor of Retalhuleu. During his tenure, he oversaw improvements in public works, the school system, public health, and youth organizations. In 1918, he drained swamps, ordered fumigation and distributed free medicine to combat a yellow fever epidemic, and won the praise of Major General William C. Gorgas, who had done the same in Panama. However, most of his reputation came from his harsh but effective punishment of banditry and smuggling across the Mexican border. He returned to Guatemala City in 1921 to participate in a coup that installed General José Orellana into the presidency, after the sitting president Carlos Herrera y Luna refused to ratify the concessions that Estrada Cabrera had made to the United Fruit Company. Under Orellana he was appointed Secretary of War in 1922, but quit a year later. In 1926, after the death of President Orellana, Ubico ran unsuccessfully for president as the candidate of the Political Progressive Party. He temporarily retired to his farm until the next election.
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