Juan José Arévalo

1904-09-10 - 1990-10-08 Contemporaries

Juan José Arévalo (1904–1990) was a Guatemalan statesman and professor of philosophy who became Guatemala's first democratically elected president in 1945. He was elected following the popular uprising against the dictator Jorge Ubico that began the Guatemalan Revolution, and he remained in office until 1951, surviving 25 coup attempts. He handed power to Jacobo Árbenz rather than contesting the 1951 election.