Juan José Arévalo
Juan José Arévalo Bermejo (10 September 1904 – 8 October 1990) was a Guatemalan statesman and professor of philosophy who became Guatemala's first democratically elected
president in 1945. He was elected following a popular uprising against the United States-backed dictator
Jorge Ubico that began the
Guatemalan Revolution. He remained in office until 1951, surviving 25 coup attempts. He did not contest the election of 1951, instead choosing to hand over power to
Jacobo Árbenz. As president, he enacted several social reform policies, including an increase in the minimum wage and a series of literacy programs. He also oversaw the drafting of a new constitution in 1945. His son,
Bernardo, became President of Guatemala in 2024.
Because of his reforms and policies that transcended his time, Juan José Arévalo is considered the most popular and influential president in the history of Guatemala.
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