Andrés Ignacio Menéndez

Brigadier General
Andrés Ignacio Menéndez
Brigadier General Andrés Ignacio Menéndez
President of El Salvador
	In office; 9 May 1944 – 21 October 1944; Provisional President
Preceded by	Maximiliano Hernández Martínez
Succeeded by	Osmín Aguirre y Salinas (provisional)
	In office; 29 August 1934 – 1 March 1935; Provisional President
Preceded by	Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (provisional)
Succeeded by	Maximiliano Hernández Martínez
30th Minister of War, the Navy, and Aviation of El Salvador
	In office; 1 March 1935 – 9 May 1944
Preceded by	Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (acting)
Succeeded by	Fidel Cristino Garay (acting)
	In office; 1 April 1934 – 29 August 1934; Acting Minister
Preceded by	Joaquín Valdés (acting)
Succeeded by	Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (acting)
Personal details
Born	1 February 1879; Santa Ana, El Salvador
Died	7 or 13 June 1962 (aged 83); New York City, United States
Spouse	Catalina Carballo
Occupation	Military officer, politician
Military service
Allegiance	El Salvador
Branch/service	Salvadoran Army
Years of service	1898–1944
Rank	Brigadier general

Andrés Ignacio Menéndez (1 February 1879 – 7 or 13 June 1962) was a Salvadoran military officer and politician who served as provisional president of El Salvador from 1934 to 1935 and in 1944. He also served as El Salvador's defense minister from 1935 to 1944.

Biography

Andrés Ignacio Menéndez was born on 1 February 1879 in Santa Ana, El Salvador. He married Catalina Carballo. Menéndez rose through the ranks in the Salvadoran Army, becoming sub-lieutenant on 18 October 1898; lieutenant on 24 March 1904; captain on 1 August 1906; major captain on 24 May 1907; lieutenant colonel on 20 May 1911; colonel on 21 May 1915; and brigadier general on 10 August 1920.^[1]

On 2 April 1934, President Brigadier General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez appointed Menéndez as Minister of War, the Navy, and Aviation (minister of war). On 29 August, Menéndez became the provisional president of El Salvador after Martínez resigned to run in the 1935 presidential election. Martínez won the election and he assumed office on 1 March 1935. That day, Martínez reappointed Menéndez as minister of war.^[1]

Menéndez became the first presidential designate in April 1944 after the failed Palm Sunday Coup. Martínez resigned during the Strike of Fallen Arms on 9 May and Menéndez became provisional president. Menéndez was overthrown in a coup led by Colonel Osmín Aguirre y Salinas on 21 October.^[2]

Menéndez died on 7 or 13 June 1962 in the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, United States. His remains were returned to El Salvador and he was buried in the General Cemetery of San Salvador.^[3]

Dates of ranks

The following is a list of Menéndez's military ranks during his career.^[1]

Rank	Service branch	Date of promotion
Sub-lieutenant	Army	18 October 1898
Lieutenant	Army	24 March 1904
Captain	Army	1 August 1906
Major captain	Army	24 May 1907
Lieutenant colonel	Army	20 May 1911
Colonel	Army	21 May 1915
Brigadier general	Army	10 August 1920

References

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c Leistenschneider & Leistenschneider 1980, p. 199.
^ Leistenschneider & Leistenschneider 1980, p. 200.
^ Leistenschneider & Leistenschneider 1980, p. 199 & 201.

Bibliography

Leistenschneider, María & Leistenschneider, Freddy (1980). Gobernantes de El Salvador: Biografías [Governors of El Salvador: Biographies] (in Spanish). Ministry of the Interior. OCLC 7876291. Retrieved 15 January 2026.

[FOOTNOTELeistenschneiderLeistenschneider1980199-1] Leistenschneider & Leistenschneider 1980, p. 199.

[FOOTNOTELeistenschneiderLeistenschneider1980200-2] Leistenschneider & Leistenschneider 1980, p. 200.

[FOOTNOTELeistenschneiderLeistenschneider1980199_&_201-3] Leistenschneider & Leistenschneider 1980, p. 199 & 201.

[1]

[2]

[3]

Heads of state of El Salvador
List of heads of state of El Salvador
Post-independence (1821–1823)	Barriere Delgado Filísola* Codallos* Consultive Junta^‡ Prado^†
Federal Republic of Central America (1823–1841)	J. Rodríguez Prado J. V. Villacorta Prado^† Cornejo J. D. Villacorta^† Cornejo Morazán^†* J. San Martín* Prado J. San Martín* C. Salazar^†* G. Salazar^† Escolán^† Silva^† Escolán^† Espinoza* F. Gómez^†* Vigil T. Menéndez^† Vigil T. Menéndez^† Cañas^†* Morazán* Silva^† Municipal Council of San Salvador Cañas^† Ramírez^† Lindo^†
Republic of El Salvador (1841–1931)	Lindo^† Arce^† Lindo Marín^†* J. J. Guzmán* D. Villacorta^† Marín^†* J. J. Guzmán* Arce^† J. J. Guzmán* Palacios^† Malespín* J. E. Guzmán^†* Malespín* J. E. Guzmán^†* Palacios^† J. E. Guzmán^†* Palacios^† Aguilar Palacios^† Aguilar Medina^† Quirós^† Vasconcelos R. Rodríguez^† Quirós^† Vasconcelos Dueñas^† Quirós^† Dueñas^† J. M. San Martín^†* Dueñas V. Gómez^† J. M. San Martín* J. Hernández^†* J. M. San Martín* Dueñas^† Campo Dueñas^† Campo Zepeda^† Santín* Barrios^†* Santín* J. E. Guzmán^†* Peralta^† Barrios* Peralta^† Barrios* Dueñas González* Méndez^† González* del Valle Zaldívar Guirola^† Zaldívar Figueroa^†* Rosales^† F. Menéndez* C. Ezeta* A. Ezeta^†* Gutiérrez* Regalado* Escalón* Figueroa* M. Araujo C. Meléndez^† Quiñónez^† C. Meléndez Quiñónez^† J. Meléndez Quiñónez P. Romero A. Araujo
Military dictatorship (1931–1979)	Civic Directory^‡ Hernández Martínez^†* A. Menéndez^†* Hernández Martínez* A. Menéndez^†* Aguirre^†* Castaneda* Revolutionary Council of Government^‡ Osorio* Lemus* Junta of Government^‡ Civic-Military Directory^‡ Cordón^† Rivera* F. Sánchez* A. Molina* C. Romero*
Salvadoran Civil War (1979–1992)	Revolutionary Government Junta^‡ Magaña Duarte Cristiani
Post-civil war (since 1992)	Cristiani Calderón Flores Saca Funes S. Sánchez Bukele C. Rodríguez^†
^† – Acting or provisional president ^‡ – Military junta * – Military president