Colonel Arturo Armando Molina Barraza (6 August 1927 – 18 July 2021) was a Salvadoran politician and military officer, who served as

President of El Salvador The president of El Salvador ( es, Presidente de El Salvador), officially known as the President of the Republic of El Salvador ( es, Presidente de la República de El Salvador), is the Head of State, head of state and Head of Government, head ...

from 1972 to 1977. He was born in

San Salvador San Salvador (; ) is the capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its eponymous department. It is the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital i ...

. He served between 1 July 1972 and 1 July 1977. The

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led to rising

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and decreased agricultural output. This worsened the existent socioeconomic inequality in the country, leading to increased unrest. In response, Molina enacted a series of land reform measures, calling for large landholdings to be redistributed among the peasant population.Walter, Williams (1997). ''Militarization and Demilitarization in El Salvador’s Transition to Democracy''. p. 90. Molina was distrusted by the oligarchy and the right-wing military, and was resented by the opposition from whom he had stolen power. His attempts to silence opposition included the military occupation of the

University of El Salvador The University of El Salvador or Universidad de El Salvador (UES) is the oldest and the most prominent university institution in El Salvador. It serves as the national university of the country. The main campus, Ciudad Universitaria, is located ...

in 1972, as well as violently suppressing student protests that erupted after public funds were used to hold the

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...

contest in San Salvador. He also oversaw assassinations of priests in the country. His regime saw extreme polarization and violence in the country. His tenure ended in 1977, and then he left the country. Molina returned to El Salvador in 1992. He died on 18 July 2021 in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

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, at the age of 93.

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Cnel. Arturo Armando Molina. Presidente 1972–1977 (2004) (University of Central America)
1927 births 2021 deaths People from San Salvador Salvadoran people of Spanish descent Presidents of El Salvador National Coalition Party (El Salvador) politicians Salvadoran military personnel Captain General Gerardo Barrios Military School alumni {{ElSalvador-politician-stub

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