Ministry of Defence (Guatemala)

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Ministry of National Defence
Seal of the Minister of Defence
Flag of the Minister of Defence

Ministry logo
Agency overview
HeadquartersAvenida La Reforma 1-45 zona 10, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Minister responsible
Websitewww.mindef.mil.gt

The Ministry of National Defence (Spanish: Ministerio de la Defensa de la Nación) is the agency of the Guatemalan government responsible for the budget, training and policy of the military of Guatemala. Based in Guatemala City, the Defence Ministry is highly guarded, and the President of Guatemala frequently visits. Prior to 1945 the agency was titled the Secretariat of War (Secretaría de la Guerra).

As of 2024 the Minister of National Defence is Major General Henry Saenz Ramos.[1]

Structure[edit]

The ministry is headed by the Minister of National Defence, who reports to the President of Guatemala, the commander in chief of the armed forces.

Organisation chart of the Ministry of Defence

List of ministers of national defence[edit]

Picture Name Term of office President(s) served under
Start End
Col. Carlos Paz Tejada Juan José Arévalo
Arbenz Col. Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán 15 March 1945 15 March 1951
Col. José Ángel Sánchez 1954 1954 Carlos Castillo Armas
Col. Enrique Close De León 1955 1957
Juán Francisco Oliva 1957 1957
Col. Guillermo Flores Avendaño[2] 3 March 1958 1958 Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes
Rubén González Siguí 1960 1960
Col. Alfredo Enrique Peralta Azurdia 1960 30 March 1963
Col. Rafael Arriaga Bosque 1 July 1966 26 March 1968 Julio César Méndez Montenegro
Rolando Chinchilla Aguilar 28 March 1968 19 February 1969
Brig. Gen. Doroteo Reyes Santa Cruz 19 February 1969 after 1 April 1970
Brig. Gen. Leonel Vassaux Martínez before July 1970 after 1 January 1972
Brig. Gen. Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García January 1972 1974 Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio
Brig. Gen. Fausto David Rubio Coronado 1974 after 1 April 1975
Gen. Fernando Romeo Lucas García 1 July 1975 after 1 January 1977 Gen. Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García
Gen. Otto Guillermo Spiegeler Noriega 1 February 1977 15 January 1980
Gen. Ángel Aníbal Guevara Rodríguez[3] 15 January 1980 9 August 1981 Gen. Fernando Romeo Lucas García
Gen. Luís René Mendoza Palomo 1981 1981
Brig. Gen. José Efraín Ríos Montt 1982 1982
Gen. Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores 1 September 1982 after 15 August 1985 Gen. José Efraín Ríos Montt
8 August 1985 14 January 1986 Gen. Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores
Gen. Jaime Hernández Méndez 14 January 1986 31 January 1987 Vinicio Cerezo
Gen. Héctor Alejandro Gramajo Morales 31 January 1987 21 May 1990
Gen. Juán Leonel Bolaños Chávez 21 May 1990 after 5 September 1990
Gen. Luis Enrique Mendoza García[4] 14 January 1991 13 December 1991 Jorge Serrano Elías
Gen. José Domingo García Samayoa 13 December 1991 7 June 1993 Jorge Serrano Elías
Ramiro de León Carpio
Gen. Jorge Roberto Perussina Rivera[5] 7 June 1993 28 June 1993 Ramiro de León Carpio
Gen. Mario René Enríquez Morales[6] 1 July 1993 9 October 1995
Maj. Gen. Marco Antonio González Taracena[7] 9 October 1995 13 January 1996
Maj. Gen. Julio Arnoldo Balconi Turcios[7][8] 14 January 1996 3 July 1997 Álvaro Arzú
Brig. Gen. Héctor Mario Barrios Celada 3 July 1997 30 June 1999
Gen. Marco Tulio Espinoza[9] 30 June 1999 14 January 2000
Col. Juan de Dios Estrada Velásquez[10] 18 January 2000 9 January 2001 Alfonso Portillo
Maj. Gen. Eduardo Arévalo Lacs 9 January 2001 12 December 2001
Gen. Leonel Méndez Estrada 10 December 2001 26 August 2002
Robin Malconi Moran Muñoz 26 August 2002 January 2004
Brig. Gen. César Augusto Méndez Pinelo January 2004 7 January 2005 Óscar Berger
Aldana Maj. Gen. Carlos Humberto Aldana Villanueva[11] 7 January 2005 2 November 2005
Bermúdez Brig. Gen. Francisco Bermúdez Amado[12][13] 2 November 2005 29 December 2006
Leiva Maj. Gen. Ronaldo Cecilio Leiva Rodríguez[14] 29 December 2006 14 January 2008
Brig. Gen. Marco Tulio García Franco[15][16] 15 January 2008 21 December 2008 Álvaro Colom
Maj. Gen. Abraham Valenzuela Gonzalez[16] 21 December 2008 September 2011
Maj. Gen. Juan José Ruiz Morales September 2011 14 January 2012
Brig. Gen. Ulises Noé Anzueto Girón 14 January 2012 16 July 2013 Otto Pérez Molina
Maj. Gen. Manuel Augusto López Ambrosio[17] 16 July 2013 16 July 2015
Gen. Williams Agberto Mansilla Fernández 16 July 2015 1 October 2017 Otto Pérez Molina
Alejandro Maldonado
Jimmy Morales
Gen. Luis Miguel Ralda Moreno 2 October 2017 19 December 2019 Jimmy Morales
Gen. Albin Enrique Dubois Ramírez 19 December 2019 14 January 2020
Gen. Juan Carlos Alemán Soto 14 January 2020 21 December 2021 Alejandro Giammattei
Gen. Henry Yovani Reyes Chigua 21 December 2021 14 January 2024
Gen. Henry Saenz Ramos 15 January 2024 Incumbent Bernardo Arévalo

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Presidente Bernardo Arévalo juramenta a su gabinete de Gobierno". www.soy502.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  2. ^ "Outgoing Provisional Chief Named Defense Minister". New York Times. 4 March 1958. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  3. ^ "Guatemalan Aide Resigns". New York Times. 9 August 1981. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  4. ^ Christian, Shirley (13 December 1991). "Guatemalans Irked by U.S. Pressure in Killing". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  5. ^ "Guatemala's De Leon". Los Angeles Times. 21 July 1993. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  6. ^ "Guatemalan defense minister resigns after massacre". CNN. 10 October 1995. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  7. ^ a b "President Arzu: A New Stage Begins". Envío Magazine. February 1996. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  8. ^ "Guatemala's Top 2 Military Chiefs Are Fired". Los Angeles Times. 5 July 1997. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  9. ^ "Guatemala: President Alvaro Arzu Appoints General Accused In Gerardi Assassination To Head Defense Ministry". NotiCen: Central American & Caribbean Affairs. 22 July 1999. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  10. ^ Flakus, Greg (18 January 2000). "Guatemala Military Reform". Voice of America. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  11. ^ Guoz, Abner (9 January 2005). "Ministerio de la Defensa Nacional" (in Spanish). ElPeriódico de Guatemala. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  12. ^ "Francisco Bermúdez asume como nuevo ministro de la Defensa" (in Spanish). Prensa Libre. 3 November 2005. Archived from the original on 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  13. ^ Arrecis, Francisco González (21 December 2006). "Francisco Bermúdez presenta renuncia" (in Spanish). Prensa Libre. Archived from the original on 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  14. ^ Francisco González Arrecis (29 December 2006). "Leiva Rodríguez será ministro de Defensa" (in Spanish). Prensa Libre. Archived from the original on 2008-06-23. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  15. ^ Osorio, J., Rodríguez, L. and Alvarado, Y. H. (16 January 2008). "Álvaro Colom demanda lealtad del Ejército" (in Spanish). Prensa Libre. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-08-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ a b Por Ricardo Quinto y Jéssica Osorio (22 December 2008). "Presidente destituye al alto mando del Ejército". Prensa Libre. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
  17. ^ Juárez, E. (16 July 2013). "Asume nuevo Ministro de la Defensa Nacional" (in Spanish). La Hora. Archived from the original on 2014-01-08.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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