Osmín Aguirre y Salinas (25 December 1889 – 17 July 1977) was a Salvadoran military officer and politician who served as the provisional president of El Salvador from 21 October 1944 until 1 March 1945. A Colonel in the Salvadoran Army, Aguirre y Salinas led two successful coups against the Salvadoran government: once in 1931 (installing General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez in power) and once more in 1944 (installing himself in power). He left office in 1945, with the assurance that his successor in the next election would be Salvador Castaneda Castro. Aguirre y Salinas was later assassinated by left-wing guerrillas near his home in San Salvador at the age of 87.

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Colonel Osmín Aguirre y Salinas
President of El Salvador
In office 21 October 1944 – 1 March 1945 Provisional President
Preceded by	Andrés Ignacio Menéndez
Succeeded by	Salvador Castaneda Castro
Chairman of the Civic Directory
In office 2 December 1931 – 4 December 1931 Serving with Joaquín Valdés
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Minister of National Defense
In office 2 December 1931 – 4 December 1931 Provisional Minister of National Defense
Preceded by	Maximiliano Hernández Martínez
Succeeded by	Joaquín Valdés
Personal details
Born	Osmín Aguirre y Salinas 24 December 1889 San Miguel, El Salvador
Died	12 July 1977(1977-07-12) (aged 87) San Salvador, El Salvador
Manner of death	Assassination by gunshot
Political party	Social Democratic Party
Children	4
Occupation	Military, politician
Military service
Allegiance	El Salvador
Branch/service	Salvadoran Army
Rank	Colonel
Battles/wars	1931 Salvadoran coup d'état La Matanza October 1944 Salvadoran coup d'état

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The Supreme Court declared his term unconstitutional, and the United States did not recognize his coming to power, which deemed his regime pro-fascist.^[1][2]

As the chief of the National Police of El Salvador, Aguirre y Salinas was one of main perpetrators of La Matanza.

Osmín Aguirre y Salinas was born in San Miguel, San Miguel, on 24 December 1889.^{[citation needed]}

He married Mrs. Rosa Cardona (1904–1991) and fathered four children.^{[citation needed]}

On 2 December 1931, President Arturo Araujo was overthrown by Army officers over anger that they had not been paid.^[3] Colonel Osmín Aguirre y Salinas took part in the coup and helped establish the Civic Directory.^[4] The Civic Directory handed over the Presidency of El Salvador to then Vice President General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez on December 4. Aguirre y Salinas acted as Director of the National Police during Hernández Martínez's presidency from 1931 through 1944.^{[citation needed]}

In January 1932, peasants across western El Salvador took up arms against the government after legislative elections were cancelled by President Hernández Martínez.^[5][6] In what would become a massacre of 25,000 to 40,000 indigenous peasants and communists,^[7][8] Aguirre y Salinas was put in charge of capturing Farabundo Martí, one of the rebellion's communist leaders.^{[citation needed]}

On 9 May 1944, Maximiliano Hernández Martínez resigned due to an attempted coup, strikes being conducted against his government, and pressure from the United States.^[9][10] After Hernández Martínez's resignation, Andrés Ignacio Menéndez became Provisional President of El Salvador. On 21 October 1944, Aguirre y Salinas and other military officers who previously supported Hernández Martínez overthrew Andrés Ignacio Menéndez's government and established himself as Provisional President of El Salvador.^[11] He cracked down on political opposition which lead to an armed uprising being launched by students in San Salvador on 8 December, followed by an insurgent attack from Guatemala four days later where dictator Jorge Ubico had been overthrown in July. Both movements were crushed by the Aguirre y Salinas government, which thus consolidated its position in power.^[11]

During his brief and short presidency, he issued a decree reforming the regulations of executive power on 28 February 1945, with the purpose of making a "more rational distribution of the different branches of public administration" and considering "urgent the introduction of some reforms to the Regulation of the Executive Power, so that the incoming Government can organize said services on new bases".^[12]

In January 1945, Aguirre y Salinas oversaw the presidential elections and ran in them to be elected to a second term. The election was boycotted by five candidates who withdrew after accusing Osmín Aguirre y Salinas of unfair election practices to ensure victory for his favored candidate.^[13] The election ended in a victory for Salvador Castaneda Castro of the Social Democratic Unification Party with 312,754 votes and a margin of 99.70 percent.^[14] Aguirre y Salinas himself only received 690 votes, a margin of 0.22 percent, in the heavily rigged election.^{[citation needed]}

Aguirre y Salinas' term ended on 1 March 1945 and Castaneda Castro was sworn in as President.^[11] He continued to harbor political aspirations in opposition to the rule of Castaneda Castro and run for the presidency, until the military coup of 1948.^{[citation needed]}

Aguirre y Salinas was shot and killed on 12 July 1977 in San Salvador while he was being taken to the Military Hospital. He was 87 years old at the time of his death. The Farabundo Martí Popular Liberation Forces claimed responsibility for the assassination.^[15]

• Maximiliano Hernández Martínez