1967 Salvadoran presidential election

1967 election in El Salvador January 2022 April 2026 1967 Salvadoran presidential election El Salvador presidential Popular 1962 Salvadoran presidential election 1962 5 March 1967 1972 Salvadoran presidential election 1972 1,266,587 PCN National Conciliation Party (El Salvador) Fidel Sánchez Hernández National Coalition Party (El Salvador) Humberto Guillermo Cuestas 267,447 54.37% PDC Christian Democratic Party (El Salvador) Abraham Rodríguez Portillo es Christian Democratic Party (El Salvador) Mario Pacheco 106,358 21.62% PAR Renovating Action Party Fabio Castillo Figueroa Renovating Action Party Jesús Gómez Castro 70,978 14.43% Álvaro Magaña, President of El Salvador (1982–1984).png Álvaro Magaña Salvadoran Popular Party Agustín Alvarenga 47,111 9.58% Elecciones presidenciales de El Salvador de 1967 - Resultado por Departamento.svg Results by department President Julio Adalberto Rivera National Coalition Party (El Salvador) Fidel Sánchez Hernández National Coalition Party (El Salvador) Presidential elections were held in El Salvador on 5 March 1967. Voters elected a president and vice president to serve a five year term from 1967 to 1972. It was the second presidential election held after the 1961 coup d'état that brought the military-backed National Conciliation Party (PCN) to power. There were four presidential candidates: Colonel Fidel Sánchez Hernández of the PCN, Abraham Rodríguez Portillo es of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Fabio Castillo Figueroa of the Renovating Action Party (PAR), and Álvaro Magaña of the Salvadoran Popular Party (PPS). Two other parties were eligible to nominate candidates but did not, and three more parties were banned from participation due to alleged communist sympathies. Land reform, communism, and military involvement in politics were major campaign topics prior to the election. Sánchez Hernández won the election with 54.37 percent of the vote. Background Since 1931, El Salvador was ruled by military dictatorship,Haggerty 1990 200–201 but the government continued to hold elections.Krennerich 2005 270 In October 1960, the Armed Forces of El Salvador (FAES) overthrew Lieutenant Colonel José María Lemus, the president of El Salvador.Haggerty 1990 18 & 20–21 FAES established the social democratic Junta of Government, but this junta was itself overthrown in January 1961 by conservative officers who established the Civic-Military Directory. The Civic-Military Directory was led by Colonel Julio Adalberto RiveraBernal Ramírez Quijano de Batres 2009 185–186 and he won the 1962 presidential election unopposed as a member of the National Conciliation Party (PCN).Wells 1967 16 Electoral system Election procedure All Salvadoran citizens over the age of 18 were eligible to vote with the exception of those who were imprisoned, who were declared mentally incompetent, or who attempted to subvert election integrity. Citizens had to be registered with the Registry of Voters managed by the Central Electoral Council (CEC) to be eligible to vote.Wells 1967 35 There were 1,266,587 registered voters in 1967.Krennerich 2005 288 Some departments had laws requiring compulsory voting, but these laws were not applied.Wells 1967 15 Political parties Political parties had to be registered with the CEC to be eligible to participate in the election. Political parties that promoted communism, anarchism, or anti-democratic policies were banned from participation.Wells 1967 34 Parties had until 5 November 1966 to be registered with the CEC.Wells 1967 12 Nine parties existed during the 1967 presidential election campaign period; six were able to present presidential candidates, of which, four nominated candidates. The remaining three parties were banned by the government for alleged communist sympathies.Wells 1967 16–20 Party Participated? PRAM April and May Revolutionary Partyes Partido Revolucionario Abril y Mayo Banned PUCA Central American Unionist Partyes Partido Unionista Centro Americano No PDC Christian Democratic Partyes Partido Democrática Cristiano PCES Communist Party of El Salvadores Partido Comunista de El Salvador Banned PCN National Conciliation Partyes Partido de Concertación Nacional PRN National Reformist Partyes Partido Reformador Nacional Banned PAR Renovating Action Partyes Partido Acción Renovadora PREN National Evolution Republican Partyes Partido Republicano de Evolución Nacional No PPS Salvadoran Popular Partyes Partido Popular Salvadoreño Candidates The 1967 presidential election had four presidential candidates. Colonel Fidel Sánchez Hernández, the Minister of the Interior during Rivera's presidency, was the PCN's presidential candidate;Wells 1967 19 & 21–23 Minister of Justice Humberto Guillermo Cuestas was his running-mate.Leistenschneider Leistenschneider 1980 239 The Christian Democratic Party (PDC) selected former party leader Abraham Rodríguez Portillo es and former culture vice minister Mario Pacheco as its presidential and vice presidential candidates. The Renovating Action Party (PAR) chose Fabio Castillo Figueroa, a former member of the Junta of Government, and lawyer Jesús Gómez Castro as its candidates, while the Salvadoran Popular Party (PPS) chose economist Álvaro Magaña and party founder Agustín Alvarenga as its candidates.Wells 1967 19 & 21–23 Party Candidate Running-mate Renovating Action Party 100px|center|Fabio Castillo Figueroa Fabio Castillo FigueroaMember of the Junta of Government(1960–1961) 100px|center|Jesús Gómez Castro Jesús Gómez Castro Salvadoran Popular Party 100px|center|Álvaro Magaña Álvaro Magaña 100px|center|Álvaro Magaña Agustín Alvarenga Christian Democratic Party 100px|center|Abraham Rodríguez Portillo Abraham Rodríguez Portillo es 100px|center|Abraham Rodríguez Portillo Mario PachecoVice Minister of Culture(late-1950s) National Conciliation Party 100px|center|Fidel Sánchez Hernández Fidel Sánchez HernándezMinister of the Interior(1962–1966) 100px|center|Humberto Guillermo Cuestas Humberto Guillermo CuestasMinister of Justice(1963–1966) Election campaign During the election campaign, Castillo and PAR faced accusations of holding communist sympathies. Critics also accused the party of having close connections to the Soviet Union, China, and Cuba. Castillo denied these accusations.Wells 1967 24 Some PAR members wanted to extend diplomatic recognition of the Cuban government and forge closer relations with Warsaw Pact members. It also accused the United States of imperialism, straying from the other parties which all favored close relations with the US.Wells 1967 6 Like PAR, the PDC faced accusations of holding communist sympathies, largely made by PCN members. Conversely, PAR accused the PDC of being subservient to the pope. The PDC denied both accusations. The PDC attacked PCN party officials by publishing a list of members who allegedly were involved in radical movements in their early careers. The PPS faced criticism of being a tool of the country's oligarchy.Wells 1967 24–25 The PCN was controlled by FAESBosch 1999 10 which received criticism from both the PDC and PAR. The PDC criticized the armed forces' involvement in politics and called for the institution to remain apolitical, while PAR called for a revolution and the complete reorganization of the armed forces.Wells 1967 25 The PDC and PCN both campaign on moderate land reform promises. Meanwhile, PAR campaigned on the implementation of the "1967–1972 Plan of Government", a broader land reform program that would distribute lands owned by 1,799 wealthy landowners (who held half of the country's land) to El Salvador's landless peasants and limit landowners to owning up to 260 acre ha of land. The PPS had no position on land reform but affirmed its commitment to "respect[ing] and protect[ing] property".Wells 1967 25–26 Results The election was held on 5 March 1967.Leistenschneider Leistenschneider 1980 235 The election resulted in a victory for Sánchez Hernández who won 267,447 votes (54.37%). Rodríguez finished in second place with 106,358 votes (21.62%), Castillo in third with 70,978 votes (14.43%), and Magaña in fourth with 47,111 votes (9.58%).Krennerich 2005 288 Fidel Sánchez Hernández Humberto Guillermo Cuestas National Conciliation Party 267447 Abraham Rodríguez Portillo es Mario Pacheco Christian Democratic Party 106358 Fabio Castillo Figueroa Jesús Gómez Castro Renovating Action Party 70978 Álvaro Magaña Agustín Alvarenga Salvadoran Popular Party 47111 1266587 Krennerich 2005, p. 288 Results by department The following table displays the number of votes and seats each candidate received from each of the country's 14 departments. The candidate with the most votes in a department is highlighted in its party color and the candidate with the second most votes and seats in a department is in #DDD gray.Mejía Marroquín 2017 197 Department Sánchez Rodríguez Castillo Magaña Total V Votes % V Votes % V Votes % V Votes % V Votes Ahuachapán 14,932 72.17 1,724 8.33 2,096 10.13 1,938 9.37 20,690 Cabañas 9,277 63.32 961 6.56 194 1.32 4,219 28.80 14,651 Chalatenango 10,823 51.34 6,528 30.97 482 2.29 3,247 15.40 21,080 Cuscatlán 9,599 49.25 7,397 37.95 662 3.40 1,834 9.41 19,492 La Libertad 19,911 49.64 13,488 33.63 3,638 9.07 3,072 7.66 40,109 La Paz 10,529 49.27 6,832 31.97 2,024 9.47 1,987 9.30 21,372 La Unión 15,314 69.36 3,106 14.07 886 4.01 2,773 12.56 22,079 Morazán 18,447 80.95 3,245 14.24 266 1.17 829 3.64 22,787 San Miguel 38,561 76.33 5,962 11.80 3,175 6.28 2,822 5.59 50,520 San Salvador 53,802 40.98 32,267 24.58 37,939 28.90 7,273 5.54 131,281 San Vicente 10,201 60.14 4,744 27.97 756 4.46 1,260 7.43 16,961 Santa Ana 24,190 47.18 9,103 17.75 13,078 25.50 4,906 9.57 51,277 Sonsonate 14,665 53.37 6,267 22.81 2,056 7.48 4,490 16.34 27,478 Usulután 17,196 53.54 4,734 14.74 3,726 11.60 6,461 20.12 32,117 Total 267,447 54.37 106,358 21.62 70,978 14.43 47,111 9.58 491,894 Source: Mejía Marroquín 2017, p. 197 Aftermath Sánchez Hernández was inaugurated on 1 July 1967.Leistenschneider Leistenschneider 1980 236 During his presidency, Sánchez Hernández implemented education and land reforms,McClintock 1985 161 led El Salvador during the 1969 Football War,McClintock 1985 155 and repressed workers' strikes with El Salvador's security forces.McClintock 1985 207–208 Although the PCN's Colonel Arturo Armando Molina won the 1972 presidential election, political scientist Michael Krennerich described it as having experienced "massive electoral fraud".Krennerich 2005 288 Reformist elements in the armed forces attempted a coup against Sánchez Hernández to overturn the results of the election and install the PDC candidate José Napoleón Duarte as president, but the coup failedHaggerty 1990 29 and Molina was inaugurated on 1 July 1972 when Sánchez Hernández's term expired.Leistenschneider Leistenschneider 1980 237 The military dictatorship eventually ended following the 1979 coup d'état led by reformists against the PCN government.Haggerty 1990 197 See also Elections in El Salvador References Citations 22em Bibliography 35em yes Bernal Ramírez Luis Guillermo Quijano de Batres Ana Elia amp 2009 Historia 2 El Salvador History 2 El Salvador https://www.mined.gob.sv/descarga/cipotes/historia_ESA_TomoII_0_.pdf es Historia El Salvador El Salvador Ministry of Education 9789992363683 https://web.archive.org/web/20221016073315/https://www.mined.gob.sv/descarga/cipotes/historia_ESA_TomoII_0_.pdf 16 October 2022 dead 20 April 2026 Bosch Brian J. 1999 The Salvadoran Officer Corps and the Final Offensive of 1981 https://books.google.com/books?id=cuMWAAAAYAAJ en Jefferson, North Carolina; London McFarland & Company Incorporated Publishers 0786406127 99-26678 41662421 20 April 2026 Haggerty Richard A. 1990 El Salvador: A Country Study https://archive.org/details/elsalvadorcountr00hagg en 2nd Washington, D.C., United States Federal Research Division 9780525560371 89048948 1044677008 20 April 2026 Krennerich Michael El Salvador 2005 Nohlen Dieter Dieter Nohlen Elections in the Americas A Data Handbook Volume 1: North America, Central America, and the Caribbean https://books.google.com/books?id=-xZREAAAQBAJ en Oxford, United Kingdom Oxford University Press 270–299 9780191557934 58051010 20 April 2026 Mejía Marroquín Julia Abigail 2017 El PAR en las Elecciones de 1967. Un Programa Político en un Contexto Nacional Problemático https://revistas.ues.edu.sv/index.php/launiversidad/article/view/2438 PAR in the 1967 Elections. A Political Program in a Problematic National Context es La Universidad University of El Salvador San Salvador, El Salvador 177–202 0041-8242 10452278673 20 April 2026 McClintock Michael 1985 The American Connection: State Terror and Popular Resistance in El Salvador https://archive.org/details/americanconnecti0000mccl/mode/2up en 1 London, United Kingdom Zed Books 9780862322403 1145770950 20 April 2026 Leistenschneider María Leistenschneider Freddy 1980 Gobernantes de El Salvador: Biografías Governors of El Salvador: Biographies https://www.scribd.com/document/589275475/Gobernantes-de-El-Salvador es Ministry of the Interior 7876291 20 April 2026 amp 1967 Wells Henry El Salvador Election Factbook, March 5, 1967 https://books.google.com/books?id=xBk7AAAAMAAJ en Washington, D.C., United States Institute for the Comparative Study of Political Systems 67-18962 260566 20 April 2026 El Salvador Politics El Salvador Presidential Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results Category:March 1967 in North America Category:Presidential elections in El Salvador