Francisco Javier Arana | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Arana in 1944 | |
| Chief of the Armed Forces | |
| In office 15 March 1945 – 18 July 1949 | |
| President | Juan José Arévalo |
| Minister | Jacobo Árbenz |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Paz Tejada |
| Head of State and Government of Guatemala | |
| In office 20 October 1944 – 15 March 1945 Serving with Jacobo Árbenz and Jorge Toriello | |
| Preceded by | Federico Ponce Vaides |
| Succeeded by | Juan José Arévalo |
| Acting Minister of Defense | |
| In office 20 October 1944 – 15 March 1945 | |
| Preceded by | David Corado |
| Succeeded by | Jacobo Árbenz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 December 1905 Villa Canales, Guatemala |
| Died | 18 July 1949 (aged 43) Amatitlán, Guatemala |
| Profession | Military officer |
| Known for | Leading the revolutionary junta ruling Guatemala from 1944 to 1945 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Guatemala |
| Branch/service | Presidential Honor Guard |
| Rank | Colonel |
Francisco Javier Arana Castro (Latin American Spanish: [fɾanˈsisko xaˈβjeɾ aˈɾana ˈkastɾo]; 3 December 1905 – 18 July 1949) was a Guatemalan military leader and one of the three members of the revolutionary junta that ruled Guatemala from 20 October 1944 to 15 March 1945 during the early part of the Guatemalan Revolution. A major in the Guatemalan army under the dictator Jorge Ubico, he allied with a progressive faction of the army to topple Ubico's successor Federico Ponce Vaides. He led the three-man junta that oversaw the transition to a democratic government, although he was personally reluctant to allow the elected President Juan José Arévalo to take office in 1945. He served as the Chief of the Armed Forces in the new government until 1949. On 18 July 1949 he was killed in a shootout with supporters of the Arévalo government after he threatened to launch a coup.