Kjell Eugenio Laugerud Garca

Guatemalan Brigadier General who served as President of Guatemala from 1 July 1974 to 1 July 1978. He was the son of a Norwegian father and Guatemalan mother. Laugerud received part of his military training in the United States. He served as Guatemalan delegate to the Inter-American Defense Board between 1968 and 1970. Laugerud had been chief of the army staff and defense minister under President Carlos Arana since 1972, then was elected president in a March 1974 vote that was marred by violence and charges of fraud. His candidature had been endorsed by both the military-backed Institutional Democratic Party and the far right National Liberation Movement. During his term, Guatemala experienced a disastrous earthquake in 1976, and had continuing disputes with neighboring Belize. In 1977, after the Carter administration published a report critical of the human rights situation in Guatemala, Laugerud announced that the country would no longer accept US military aid. In 1983, Laugerud and three other ex-presidents were forced to retire from the army. Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García died on 9 December 2009 at age 79. Link to Wikipedia biography