1979 coup and Revolutionary Government Junta

In 1979, Colonel Majano was involved in a military conspiracy to overthrow the regime of Carlos Humberto Romero. After the coup on 15 October 1979, Majano became one of two army representatives in the Revolutionary Government Junta of El Salvador. Majano was considered the most important person in the junta.^[2][3][4]

On 13 December 1980 at a meeting of the command of the Salvadoran Army, Christian Democrat Jose Napoleon Duarte became President of the junta with Colonel Jaime Abdul Gutierrez as vice president. Colonel Majano appointed to be the military attaché to Spain, however, he refused this appointment and accused the junta of supporting right-wing extremists. Colonel Majano resigned as Commander-in-Chief and Chairman of the Revolutionary Government Junta in May 1980 and was replaced with Jaime Abdul Gutiérrez. He resigned from the junta on 13 December 1980.^[2][5][6]

Arrest, release and exile

On the evening of 15 December, he convened a press conference at which he accused the junta of terrorism and the Christian Democratic Party of conciliation. The junta issued an order for the arrest of Majano, which immediately provoked a protest from the leaders of the Military Youth. The press often reported Majano's intention to join the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front following his arrest warrant being issued.^{[citation needed]} On 20 February 1981, Majano was arrested. He was arrested and imprisoned along with Roberto D'Aubuisson. He was released on 20 March 1981 and went into exile in Panama. When Panamanian President Omar Torrijos died in 1981, he moved to Mexico, and later to Canada in 1983. He returned to El Salvador in 1988 and survived an assassination attempt.^[2]