Manuel Estrada Cabrera (1857-1924) is regarded as one of the worst tyrants in Guatemalan history. His presidency, which began in 1898, grew progressively more despotic until his overthrow in 1920.

Manuel Estrada Cabrera, a foundling, was born in Quezaltenango on Nov. 21, 1857. He received early schooling under Church supervision and eventually became a lawyer, practicing in both Quezaltenango and Retalhuleu. President José Maria Reyna Barrios (1891-1898) appointed him minister of government and justice, but his performance was colorless.

When Reyna Barrios was assassinated on Feb. 8, 1898, Estrada Cabrera, who had risen to vice president, became provisional president. The first Guatemalan head of state taken from civilian life in over 50 years, Estrada Cabrera overcame resistance to his regime by August 1898 and called for September elections, which he won handily. He retained power for 22 years through controlled elections in 1904, 1910, and 1916. One Guatemalan historian has suggested that the extreme despotic characteristics of the man...