Historical review

of the presidency of general Carlos Ezeta (1890-1984)

Abstract

This essay aims to provide an impartial and objective review of the official narrative surrounding the presidency and legacy of general Carlos Basilio Ezeta, who governed El Salvador between 1890 and 1894. In particular, it examines how he came to power and his peculiar relationship with his former mentor, Francisco Menéndez. It also analyzes his administration, with emphasis on his achievements in social policies and the undeniable failures he experienced in the financial-economic sphere and in handling the monetary crisis that occurred at the end of the 19th century, that led him to implement an erratic tax policy that put him in direct conflict with the liberal economic development project led by the country’s major coffee plantation owners