Ana Salvadora Debayle Sacasa de Somoza García (27 May 1895 – 1 February 1987) was the

First Lady of Nicaragua The First Lady of Nicaragua (Spanish: ''Primera dama de Nicaragua'') is the title attributed to the wife of the President of Nicaragua, or their chosen designee, such as a daughter or other relative. The current incumbent first lady is Rosario Mur ...

during the presidency of her husband, the dictator

Anastasio Somoza Garcia Anastasio is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name * Anastasio Alfaro (1865–1951), Costa Rican zoologist, geologist and explorer * Anastasio Aquino (1792–1833), Salvadoran indigenous ...

. She was the mother of

Lillian Somoza Debayle Lillian ("'Lilly"' or "'Lilita"') Somoza de Sevilla Sacasa, born Lillian Ada de la Cruz Somoza Debayle (May 3, 1921 – May 17, 2003) was a member of the Somoza family in Nicaragua. She was the daughter of dictatorial president Anastasio Somo ...

Luis Somoza Debayle Luis Anastasio Somoza Debayle (18 November 1922 – 13 April 1967) was the 26th President of Nicaragua from 21 September 1956 to 1 May 1963. Somoza Debayle was born in León. At the age of 14, he and his younger brother Anastasio attended Sa ...

and

Anastasio Somoza Debayle Anastasio "Tachito" Somoza Debayle (; 5 December 1925 – 17 September 1980) was the President of Nicaragua from 1 May 1967 to 1 May 1972 and from 1 December 1974 to 17 July 1979. As head of the National Guard, he was ''de facto'' ruler of ...

. She was popularly known as Doña Salvadorita and among her relatives Mama Yoya.

Biography

She was the daughter of Dr. Louis Henri Debayle, who was of French descent, and Casimira Sacasa Sacasa, the daughter of President

Roberto Sacasa Sarria Roberto Sacasa Sarria (27 February 1840 – 2 June 1896) was the President of Nicaragua from 5 August 1889 to 1 January 1891 and again from 1 March 1891 to 11 July 1893. Ancestry He was the son of Juan Bautista Sacasa Méndez and Casimira Sarria ...

and niece of President

Juan Bautista Sacasa Juan Bautista Sacasa (21 December 1874 in León, Nicaragua – 17 April 1946 in Los Angeles, California) was the President of Nicaragua from 1 January 1933 to 9 June 1936. He was the eldest son of Roberto Sacasa and Ángela Sacasa Cuadra, the form ...

. By maternal line, she came from one of the most distinguished and important families at the political level of the country, in addition to being linked to family ties with most of the Creole families in Nicaragua. In 1913, she was studying in Belgium with her sister Margarita; a year later, upon the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, they were transferred to London, England, United Kingdom, and later to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, where they studied at Beechwood School, Jenkintown. Recently arrived from Europe, she had an attack of appendicitis and on a visit made by her brother Luis Manuel Debayle to the hospital, he arrived accompanied by his friend, Anastasio Somoza García, nicknamed by his American friends as "Sony", who would later become the founder of the Somoza dynasty in Nicaragua. They married in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1919, in a civil ceremony, without the consent of the bride's parents, who did not look favorably on the middle-class young Somoza to be the husband of their aristocratic daughter; Dr. Debayle and Mrs. Casimira are said to have reluctantly accepted the marriage. The religious ceremony took place in the cathedral of León with great luxury. Salvadora's father-in-law, Senator Anastasio Somoza Reyes, presented her with a diamond necklace, in addition to giving the couple $500 at the time. "Salvadorita" and Anastasio went abroad on their honeymoon for almost a year. They had three children: Lillian, Luis Anastasio and Anastasio Somoza Debayle. In 1937, Salvadora became

, the first in office in this country to become a popularly known figure. Her social and personal life became of great interest to the press, dedicating headlines in newspapers, both at home and abroad. Among her acts of philanthropy was an event held on Christmas 1938, where she distributed 25,000 gifts to children of limited resources in Managua (the capital of Nicaragua) and attended matters related to the Women's Wing of the Nationalist Liberal Party (PLN). She shared joys and sorrows with her husband, who was also the president of that party. Of a strong and admirable character, she exerted a great influence on the Somoza government and many of the Nicaraguan Somozas remember her with appreciation. As first lady, she devoted herself more to social events and philanthropy; however, Salvadora exercised great power not visible, an example of this occurred in the early 40s, when she complained to her husband that her name had been omitted in the social chronicle of the newspaper La Prensa from a list of ladies attending a party. This provoked the fury of Anastasio Somoza, who in revenge closed La Prensa for three days. She was present at the dance at the Casa del Obrero in León when the young poet Rigoberto López Pérez, a militant of the opposition Independent Liberal Party (PLI), shot her husband on the night of September 21, 1956, and accompanied him in his last moments at the Gorgas Hospital, located in the Panama Canal zone in Panama, where he died in the early morning of September 29 of the same year.

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

sent his blessing to Salvadora. New York Cardinal

Francis Spellman Francis Joseph Spellman (May 4, 1889 – December 2, 1967) was an American bishop and cardinal of the Catholic Church. From 1939 until his death in 1967, he served as the sixth Archbishop of New York; he had previously served as an auxiliary ...

sent a statement to

(the president's eldest son, who succeeded him), saying, "I am sure your father would have been very pleased to know that you will be his successor." U.S. President

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

also expressed his great sympathy for the deceased and condolences to his family.

Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina ( , ; 24 October 189130 May 1961), nicknamed ''El Jefe'' (, "The Chief" or "The Boss"), was a Dominican dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from February 1930 until his assassination in May 1961. He ser ...

, dictator of the Dominican Republic, was one of those who most presented solidarity for Somoza, alongside

Paul Magloire Paul Eugène Magloire (July 19, 1907 – July 12, 2001), nicknamed Kanson Fe, was the Haitian president from 1950 to 1956. Early life Paul Eugène Magloire ne Paul Vincent Magloire, 30th president of Haiti and 33rd head of state (ephemeral milit ...

of Haiti,

Fulgencio Batista Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (; ; born Rubén Zaldívar, January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician who served as the elected president of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 and as its U.S.-backed military dictator ...

of Cuba,

Carlos Ibáñez del Campo General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo (; 3 November 1877 – 28 April 1960) was a Chilean Army officer and political figure. He served as President twice, first between 1927 and 1931, and then from 1952 to 1958, serving for 10 years in office. T ...

of Chile and

Alfredo Stroessner Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda (; 3 November 1912 – 16 August 2006) was a Paraguayan army officer and politician who served as President of Paraguay from 15 August 1954 to 3 February 1989. Stroessner led a coup d'état on 4 May 1954 with the ...

of Paraguay. Among other messages that arrived in Nicaragua was a condolence from the British queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

. After the death of Salvadora's husband, her son Luis assumed the presidency of the country. At the time when Anastasio Somoza García had been shot and was wounded, Salvadora was the one who ordered from León that the National Congress meet, and that Luis be sworn in as President of the Republic. When her husband died, Salvadora inherited a large fortune, which caused her to appear among the richest families in Latin America. It was said that she possessed a magnificent collection of jewelry. The Somoza family owned numerous luxury properties inside and outside Nicaragua. Her life as a widow was spent in the social circles of her native Nicaragua and in the United States, where she lived next to her firstborn Lillian Somoza of Seville-Sacasa. On different occasion, her daughters-in-law granted her a preferential position to theirs as first ladies. Even during the rule of her son "Tachito", Salvadora entered the receptions and galas with her daughter-in-law Hope. In the spring of 1983, Salvadora Debayle de Somoza set the fate of her fortune. Her will began by saying: "Being in full use of my mental faculties, being free from harshness, threats or undue influence of any person, I make public and declare this my last will and testament ... She named universal heir of all her fortune and transferred all her real, personal or mixed properties to her daughter Lillian Somoza Debayle of Seville Sacasa, because she had given her "roof and has taken care of me for more than fifteen years". This was immediately disputed by the family of her eldest son Luis Somoza Debayle. She died in February 1987 in Washington, DC, with her daughter Lillian and her family by her side. The family of Doña Salvadora was key to the consolidation of the Somoza dynasty. During her husband's rule, several of her relatives held strategic positions in politics: Guillermo Sevilla Sacasa, her son-in-law and cousin: Ambassador in Washington. Alberto Sevilla Sacasa, her cousin: Ambassador to Mexico. Oscar Sevilla Sacasa, her cousin: Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ramón Sevilla Castellón, her uncle-in-law: former minister and Head of the National Lottery. Roberto Debayle Sacasa, her brother: Mayor of León. León Debayle Sacasa, her brother: General Manager of the National Bank, director of the entire banking institution and former ambassador in Washington. Luis Manuel Debayle Sacasa, her brother: President of the National Company of Light and Force of Nicaragua and Minister of Health. Luis Anastasio, her son: president of the National Congress (chamber of deputies and senators), president of the republic. Anastasio Somoza Debayle, her son: Chief of staff, director of the Military Academy and president of the republic. Néstor Portocarrero Gross, her brother-in-law: consul in New York.

Biography

References

See also