1975 Ecuadorian coup attempt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Failure of the coup attempt
- Arrests of Civic Front members
- Decline of the Ecuadorian military regime
| 1975 Ecuadorian coup attempt | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Guillermo Rodríguez Lara |
Raúl González Alvear Alejandro Solís Rosero | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 25 in total during the coup | |||||||
The 1975 Ecuadorian coup attempt also known as Guerra de la Funeraria[1][2] was a failed military coup d'état in Ecuador led by Ecuadorian Armed Forces Chief Raúl González Alvear along with his brother-in-law, General Alejandro Solís Rosero, director of the National War College, with the goal of forcing President Guillermo Rodríguez Lara to resign. Poorly planned and hastily executed, the coup attempt took place over the course of a two-day period from August 31 - September 1, 1975. By the afternoon, it was clear that the coup had failed with General González seeking asylum, initially from the US Embassy and later the Chilean Embassy, before being captured by government authorities.
In 1972, General Guillermo Rodríguez Lara became Ecuador's dictator through a successful military coup[3] - later known as El Carnavalazo.[4] After his seizure of power, Rodríguez Lara established a military junta of a progressive and reformist nature called the Nationalist Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces.[1][2] During his presidency, the Ecuadorian state was strengthened due to oil revenues in the 1970s.[5] President Rodríguez early engaged in a firm campaign to control the nation's oil resources and, in part, to consolidate government authority.[6] The Rodríguez Lara dictatorship was a period of prosperity and investments in several economic areas in Ecuador, mainly in agriculture and infrastructure works.[5] In agriculture, the military regime engaged in a failed agrarian reform project in which less than 1% of the country's cultivable land changed hands.[6] In infrastructure projects, the regime had notable achievements such as the construction of the Esmeraldas refinery. CEPE, a precursor corporation to Petroecuador, was created in 1972. Ecuador joined OPEC in 1973.[6][5]
By 1974, the country was suffering due to months of economic mismanagement under the Rodriguez regime. Hypernationalistic government ministers had made the mistake of raising oil prices by 54 cents per barrel, above the standard OPEC price and thus upsetting the oil companies, who limited their oil production in protest, cutting into the nation's bottomline. This was severely damaging to Ecuador's economy, as it relied heavily on its exports, including oil.[3]
Despite the economic downturn, the wealthy in Ecuador continued spending lavishly on foreign luxury goods like cars and television sets. The excessive spending caused the country to have a massive trade deficit of $170 million in the first half of 1975. To address the economic crisis, President Rodriguez dismissed his Natural Resources Minister and lowered oil prices by 43 cents per barrel. Additionally, President Rodriguez implemented a heavy 60% tax on all luxury imports, a measure that aimed to stabilize the economy but was deeply unpopular with the public.[3]
The import tax on luxury goods was part of a series of unpopular economic decisions by the regime, including restrictive policies on foreign investment through Andean Pact Decision 24, and the aforementioned petroleum policy which too was unpopular. Coupled with their failure to control inflation and lacking progress in the agricultural sector, the regime's economic policies sparked widespread protests and also open criticism from the chambers of commerce, small industries, editorial boards, politicians, and political parties.[7]
Amidst the political turmoil, a coalition of political parties was formed named the Civic Front to pressure the government into returning to constitutional rule. Comprising Velasquistas, Poncistas, Conservatives, Socialists, and the National Revolutionary Party, the political coalition excluded the country's Communist parties, labeling them as "government parties". Some parties, such as the Radical Liberal Party and the Concentration of Popular Forces, decided not to publicly associate themselves with the Civic Front.[7]