Coup Atlas Research Database
← Back to explorer
09301221967AttemptedDissident coup

Nicaragua, 1967 — dissident coup attempt

Nicaragua (NIC)Central America, AmericasJanuary 22, 1967

Event Summary

The dataset records an event coded as an attempted dissident coup in Nicaragua on 22 January 1967, which corresponds to the massacre that erupted during an opposition demonstration in Managua days before the presidential election that would install Anastasio Somoza Debayle, the last of the Somoza dynasty. On 22 January 1967 tens of thousands of supporters of the opposition candidate Fernando Aguero rallied in the capital and, in an atmosphere of insurrection, attempted to march on the presidential palace and provoke the National Guard to defect. The National Guard, commanded by Somoza himself, opened fire on the crowd, killing scores of demonstrators in what became known as the massacre of 22 January.

The opposition uprising was crushed, Somoza Debayle won the widely condemned February election, and the family dynasty that had ruled Nicaragua since the 1930s continued until the Sandinista revolution of 1979.

Researched Details

Researched

Independent research, added record by record. Hover any label for what it means.

Target identified in Coup Atlas research: The Somoza controlled government crushed the opposition rising; Anastasio Somoza Debayle took the presidency weeks later
RESEARCHED NAME
Key figures
Anastasio Somoza Debayle (National Guard chief and incoming president, target)
Fernando Aguero (opposition candidate)
Nicaraguan National Guard (loyalist force)

Sources

On 22 January 1967 a large opposition demonstration in Managua, backing candidate Fernando Aguero against the Somoza dynasty, ended in a massacre when the National Guard opened fire on the crowd.
SOURCE REVIEWED Wikipedia, Anastasio Somoza Debayle open source ↗
The Somoza family had ruled Nicaragua since Anastasio Somoza Garcia took power in the 1930s, controlling the country through the National Guard.
SOURCE REVIEWED Wikipedia, Somoza family open source ↗
Anastasio Somoza Debayle, commander of the National Guard, won the February 1967 presidential election that followed the crackdown.
SOURCE REVIEWED Wikipedia, Anastasio Somoza Debayle open source ↗
The Somoza dynasty continued to rule Nicaragua until it was overthrown by the Sandinista revolution in 1979.
SOURCE REVIEWED Wikipedia, Somoza family open source ↗

Editorial Note

Dataset date 22 January 1967 corresponds to the opposition rising and National Guard massacre in Managua before the 1967 election; the event is verified though its coding as a coup attempt reflects the insurrectionary character of the opposition march rather than a military plot, and the fine detail is lightly sourced this session, flagged. First Nicaragua record in the dataset run.

Cross-Reference

Only one dataset carries it. One of the three reference datasets we check against carries this event; the others do not list it. That is not a contradiction — the datasets cover different periods and use different thresholds — but it means the record has had less outside corroboration.

Identifiers for finding this same event in the other datasets:

Cline Center id
09301221967

How the match is made is described in crossref-report.md.

Outcome and Target

Coup Atlas research identifies the target as: The Somoza controlled government crushed the opposition rising; Anastasio Somoza Debayle took the presidency weeks later.

Baseline coding: Coup attempt failed to remove the incumbent. Recorded leader fate: remained in office; not physically harmed. The baseline file does not name individual targets; researched names are kept in a separate layer.

Baseline Dataset Citation

Cline Center Coup d’État Project Dataset, v2.2.2
Peyton, Buddy, Joseph Bajjalieh, Michael Martin, and Andrea Gerald. 2026. Cline Center Coup d’État Project Dataset. Cline Center for Advanced Social Research. V.2.2.2. February 17. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. doi: 10.13012/B2IDB-9651987_V10
⚑ This citation establishes the coded baseline record; use the claim-level sources above for the researched narrative.

Baseline Source-Document Entries

CSP

Named in the baseline source document; no article citation was recorded.

Luttwak

Named in the baseline source document; no article citation was recorded.

Washington Post

“44 Americans Freed From Hotel Held by Foes of Nicaragua Rule,” January 24, 1967

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Nicaragua Rebels End Uprising,” January 24, 1967

This is the citation trail carried by the baseline dataset, grouped by outlet and rejoined from the line-wrapped original. Coup Atlas has not independently re-checked every document; read the original before citing a specific claim. URLs the import damaged beyond safe repair are shown as plain text and listed in citations-report.md. How this list is built →

Know something about this event?
Tips are reviewed against sources before anything is added.