Fernando Romeo Lucas García

Fernando Romeo Lucas García (b. San Juan Chamelco, Alta Verapaz, 4 July 1924 – d. Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela, 27 May 2006) was the President of Guatemala from 1 July 1978 to 23 March 1982. Although he was democratically elected as Institutional Democratic Party candidate (with the support of the Revolutionary Party), during General Lucas' regime political repression and assassinations of major progressive opposition figures (former progressive Mayor Manuel Colom and Social Democrat Party founder Alberto Fuentes in 1979) reached an alarming high. He was also responsible for the infamous Spanish embassy fire in Guatemala City on 31 January 1980, in which 37 people died. His vice president, Francisco Villagrán, resigned on 1 September 1980, citing differences with Lucas and disapproval of the country's worsening human rights situation. In the final days of his regime, he was removed by a coup d'état led by Gen. Efraín Ríos.

In 1999 the Audiencia Nacional of Spain began criminal proceedings for accusations of torture and genocide against the Maya population after a formal petition introduced by Rigoberta Menchú. However, the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal denied the extradition on 22 June 2005, arguing that the required evidence was not presented and lifted the house arrest.

He died in exile in Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela, where he had lived for 12 years with his wife Elsa Cirigliano, suffering from Alzheimers and various other ailments, at the age of 81.

References

* [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/29/world/americas/29garcia.html?_r=1&oref=slogin "Gen. Romeo Lucas García, 85, Former Guatemalan President, Dies"] "New York Times," 29 May 2006.
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5026948.stm Guatemala ex-head dies in exile] BBC News, 29 May 2006.
* "Murió en Puerto La Cruz ex dictador guatemalteco", Newspaper "El Nacional," 29 May 2006, p. A-13.