The Ecuadorian Civil War was a war fought in August 1932 between supporters and opponents of president

Isidro Ayora Isidro Ramon Antonio Ayora Cueva (31 August 1879 – 22 March 1978) was an Ecuadorian political figure. He served as the 22nd President of Ecuador from 1926 to 1931. Isidro Ayora, a town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally ...

Background

In the aftermath of the

Wall Street Crash of 1929 The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...

, Ecuadorian cacao exports dropped dramatically. Widespread unemployment and poor living conditions led to the unopposed military coup of 1931, effectively ending the rule of president

. Supported by the far-right, lower class movement of Compactación Obrera Nacional, Neptalí Bonifaz Ascázubi became the Ecuadorian president. In August 1932, a variety of liberal and leftist Congress members blocked Bonifaz's assumption of power, thus starting the war.

Civil war

A four-day conflict ensued. The

Quito Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital and largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its urban area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha. Quito is located in a valley o ...

garrison, supported by pro presidential paramilitaries succeeded in suspending the work of the Congress. Despite the initial success, Bonifaz failed to remain in power, as the majority of the armed forces stationed in Quito avoided any involvement in the conflict. Aided by provincial regiments, the anti-presidential paramilitaries later restored the Congress into power, ending Bonifaz's reign.

In popular culture

Experiences related to the Ecuadorian civil war have inspired a large number of

Oswaldo Guayasamín Oswaldo Guayasamín (July 6, 1919 – March 10, 1999) was an Ecuadorian painter and sculptor of Kichwa and Mestizo heritage. Biography Early life Guayasamín was born in Quito, Ecuador, to a native father and a Mestiza mother, both of Kichwa de ...

's early works, including "Los Niños Muertos".

Footnotes

{{reflist Military history of Ecuador Conflicts in 1932 Wars involving Ecuador 1932 in Ecuador