Revolution of the 44

The Revolution of the 44 or Revolución de los 44 refers to a group of Salvadoran rebel Generals, known as the 44 who rebelled against the government of general Carlos Ezeta in 1894 in El Salvador. They took the city of Santa Ana and forced the authorities and the President out.

Revolution of the 44
Date 29 April 1894 - 10 June 1894 Location El Salvador Action Army Generals overthrew incumbent President, Carlos Ezeta. Result Carlos Ezeta overthrown Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez assumed power
Belligerents
Salvadoran Government Salvadoran Army	Salvadoran Rebels Supported by: Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua
Commanders and leaders
Carlos Ezeta Antonio Ezeta General Escobar	Doroteo Caballero Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez Tomás Regalado

Background

Carlos Ezeta became president of the country in 1891 after a treason. He had been under the orders of the general Francisco Menéndez Valdivieso from the presidential administration of 1887. Taking advantage of a celebration from a past military victory, on 22 June 1890, the loyal troops of Ezeta by surprise took the residence of the president where the celebrations were followed. There they proclaimed to the public that they had usurped power, during which Francisco Menéndez suffered a heart attack.

Revolution

Carlos Ezeta

Ezeta became president officially on March 1 of 1891. With his brother, Antonio, he directed a government from the quarter of the Second Brigade of Infantry. In the year 1894, the rejection to his government increased and numerous conspirators who were known to desire to uproot the government were persecuted. While many fled to Guatemala, on April 29 of that year, 44 rebels led by Doroteo Caballero came across the border from that country to Santa Ana. There they took the quarter and they demanded the surrender of the troops. The government was reorganized to put down the rebellion. Antonio Ezeta retreated to Coatepeque, where he requested reinforcements to be sent into Santa Ana. Although there was disagreement and disorganization over the control of the city, many guards were known to be sympathetic to the attacks. However, in spite of a new siege of the official troops and bloody attacks, the rebel forces managed to stay firm until May without Ezeta's men defeating them. However on May 16, official troops eventually overcame the rebels, largely helped by General Escobar who restored order to the situation.

General Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez, who would become President following the Revolution.

Flight of Ezeta

General Tomás Regalado became President of El Salvador following Gutiérrez.

On day 21, the event debilitated the governors elsewhere. The Ezeta brothers travelled to Chalatenango. New victories in the Malakoff hill and “Las Marias” on day 24 saw a rebel counter-attack. Antonio Ezeta later left for Coatepeque, and the rebels moved into Opico, near the capital, under the orders of the generals Tomás Regalado and Salvador Avila and the colonel Emilio Calderón. As this new force proved too powerful, the Ezeta brothers were forced to flee the country in exile by water. Provisional president Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez (assumed power 10 June 1894) entered the capital on 29 July 1894.

Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez would be President of El Salvador from 1894 to 1898. General Tomás Regalado, who was instrumental in the downfall of Ezeta's regime, overthrew Gutiérrez in 1898 and became President of El Salvador. He would be President from 1898 to 1903.

The 44

The following men were the 44 leaders of the revolution:

1. Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez
2. Tomás Regalado
3. Doroteo Caballero
4. Gral. Francisco Hurtado Menéndez
5. Prudencio Alfaro
6. Mariano Morán
7. Joaquín Pérez
8. Lizandro Arévalo
9. Abelardo Bracamonte
10. Juan Castro
11. Aquilino Duarte
12. Luis Gómez
13. Macedonio Marroquín
14. Francisco Gómez
15. Vicente Retana
16. Ramón Flores
17. Luis Pineda
18. Rosendo Guevara
19. Marcelino Monterrosa
20. Juan Escobar
21. Luciano Monterrosa
22. Tranquilino Sánchez
23. José Miguel Alfaro
24. Agustín Linares
25. Luis Mathies
26. Juan Ortiz
27. Adolfo Alvarenga
28. Heriberto Alvarenga
29. Máximo González
30. Faustino Acevedo
31. Nicolás Alvarenga
32. Eduardo Morales
33. Alfonso García
34. Isabel Carranza Monterrosa
35. Santiago Calidonio
36. Alejandro Cabrera
37. Reyes Rivera
38. Mariano Ramos
39. Domingo Campos
40. Manuel Quintanilla
41. Carmen González
42. Dolores Cámbara
43. Bernarda Calderón
44. Pedro Salguero

Bibliography

Vidal, Manuel (1961). Nociones de historia de Centro América. San Salvador: Editorial Universitaria.