Tomás Regalado (Salvadoran politician)

General Tomás Regalado Sanchez (November 7, 1861 in Santa Ana, El Salvador – July 7, 1906 in Guatemala) was President of El Salvador from 14 November 1898 until 1 March 1903. He was a military ruler and gained power by deposing Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez, a man he had previously helped achieve control of the country by taking part in a conspiracy to oust Carlos Ezeta four years earlier. Elected to a four-year term in 1899, he promoted the construction of railways, declared an amnesty for political exiles, and began the construction of the beautiful Santa Ana Theater.

Tomás Regalado
20th President of El Salvador
In office 14 November 1898 – 1 March 1903
Vice President	Francisco Antonio Reyes
Preceded by	Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez
Succeeded by	Pedro José Escalón
Personal details
Born	(1860-11-07)7 November 1860 Santa Ana El Salvador
Died	7 July 1906(1906-07-07) (aged 45) Yupiltepeque Guatemala
Nationality	Salvadoran
Political party	No Party

Upon leaving office, he remained active in the Army of El Salvador and was appointed Minister of War by his handpicked successor Pedro José Escalón. During a war against Guatemala in 1906 he led a Salvadoran invasion force and went into battle. Seriously wounded, he soon died on the 11th of June . His coup d'état led to the dissolution of the Greater Republic of Central America after his government withdrew from it.[1]

Regalado was the last in a series of presidents who had come to power by force during the 19th Century. His peaceful transfer of power to Pedro José Escalón in 1903 allowed for a degree of political stability that persisted until the events of 1931-32.