Anastasio Somoza Garcia

When the U.S. Marines Nicaragua, he rose through the ranks of a constabulary force organized by them. After fighting General Augusto Sandino and his forces from 1927 to 1933, the marines evacuated the country and left Somoza in charge of the newly formed National Guard. He ordered the successful assassination of General Sandino in 1934. Somoza then overthrew the elected Nicaraguan government in 1936 and became the country's dictator in 1937. Somoza ruled until 1956, when he was shot to death by an assassin.