Manuel de Jesús Córdova Melgar (25 December 1911 – ?) was a Salvadoran military officer who was a member of the Revolutionary Council of Government, a Salvadoran civic-military junta, from 1948 to 1949. He later served as the director of the Captain General Gerardo Barrios Military School from 1956 to 1958.
Biography
Manuel de Jesús Córdova Melgar was born in Chalatenango, El Salvador on 25 December 1911. His parents were Luis Córdova and Delfina Melgar.
Córdova graduated from the Captain General Gerardo Barrios Military School on 20 November 1930 as a sub-lieutenant. He was promoted by lieutenant in 1931. He took part in that year's coup d'état against President Arturo Araujo. In 1944, Córdova became the director of the National Guard. Córdova opposed the April 1944 Palm Sunday Coup against General President Maximiliano Hernández Martínez, during which, the National Guard captured the Ilopango International Airport.
On 14 December 1948, junior military officers of the Armed Forces of El Salvador overthrew President General Salvador Castaneda Castro in the Majors' Coup. The coup leaders established the Revolutionary Council of Government (CGR), a civic-military junta, the consisted of Córdova, Major Óscar Osorio, Major Óscar Adán Bolaños, Reynaldo Galindo Pohl, and Humberto Costa. As a member of the CGR, Córdova oversaw the seizure of assets from Castaneda as former president Colonel Osmín Aguirre y Salinas. Córdova resigned from the CGR on 5 October 1949, after which, he became a military attaché to Argentina and later the United States.
From 1956 to 1958, Córdova served as the director of the Captain General Gerardo Barrios Military School. In 1958, he became the chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Dates of ranks
The following is a list of Córdova's military ranks during his career.
Insignia Rank Service branch Date of promotion Sub-lieutenant Army 20 November 1930 Lieutenant Army 1931 Captain Army ? Major Army 1943 Lieutenant colonel Army before 1948 Colonel Army ? General Army before 1956
References