Editing History of Guatemala (section)

==== Government of Manuel Lisandro Barillas ====
{{Main|Manuel Barillas}}
General [[Manuel Lisandro Barillas Bercián]] became interim president of [[Guatemala]] following the death of President [[Justo Rufino Barrios]] in the Battle of Chalchuapa in [[El Salvador]] in April 1885 and the resignation of first designate [[Alejandro Manuel Sinibaldi Castro]]. He executed a clever scheme: he visited the General Cemetery during Barrios's funeral and told the president of Congress, "Please prepare room and board for the 5,000 troops that I have waiting for my orders in Mixco." Fearing the threat, the Congress president declared Barillas interim president on the spot. By the time the deception was discovered, it was too late to reverse the decision.{{sfn|Hernández de León|1930}}

Instead of calling for elections, as required, Barillas Bercián was declared President on 16 March 1886 and served until 1892.{{sfn|Hernández de León|1930}}

During Barillas's government, the [[Carrera Theater (Guatemala)|Carrera Theater]] was remodeled to commemorate the fourth centennial of the Discovery of America. The Italian community in Guatemala donated a statue of [[Christopher Columbus]] (Cristóbal Colón in Spanish), which was placed next to the theater. The venue was henceforth known as the "Colón Theater".{{sfn|Guateantaño|2011}}

In 1892, Barillas called for elections to attend to his personal affairs. This was the first election in Guatemala where candidates were allowed to campaign in local newspapers.{{sfn|Castellanos|2014|p=40:00}}

Barillas Bercián was unique among Guatemalan liberal presidents from 1871 to 1944 for peacefully transferring power to his successor. As elections approached, he invited the three Liberal candidates to present their government plans. Satisfied with the proposal from General [[José María Reyna Barrios|Reyna Barrios]],{{sfn|De los Ríos|1948|p=78}} Barillas ensured that a large group of Indigenous people from Quetzaltenango and Totonicapán were mobilised to vote for Reyna Barrios. Reyna was elected president.{{sfn|De los Ríos|1948|p=82}} To avoid offending the losing candidates, Barillas provided them with checks to cover their campaign expenses. Reyna Barrios assumed the presidency on 15 March 1892.{{sfn|De los Ríos|1948|p=79}}