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 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 it ...

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

1973 oil crisis The 1973 oil crisis or first oil crisis began in October 1973 when the members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, proclaimed an oil embargo. The embargo was targeted at nations that had su ...

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 St ...

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 state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

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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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