| In a highly charged climate, labor leaders called a general strike, which paralyzed the national economy. The crisis emerged from long-standing conflicts created by the increasing concentration of land in the hands of a small number of coffee magnates, and the military government's practice of catering exclusively to elites. The strike forced Gen. Menéndez to flee the nation, and opened the way for discussions of democratic and social reform. Fearing social unrest, hard-line military officers moved quickly to install Gen. Salvador Castañeda as president. After his ascension, Castañeda dissolved political parties, labor unions, and student groups, and meted out harsh treatment to their leaders. (See El Salvador) | 1 |
