Background
Francisco Malespín was born on 28 September 1806 in Izalco.
Francisco Malespín was born on 28 September 1806 in Izalco.
Little is known about his early life, but by early 1841 he was commander-in-chief of the army of El Salvador and imposed the provisional presidency of Juan Lindo. He joined with Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua to overthrow Francisco Morazân, the president of Central America.
In 1844 Malespin was elected president of El Salvador by the National Assembly. His brutality in this campaign alienated even his Salvadorean followers, and the National Assembly deposed him in February 1845. Malespin then took refuge in Honduras, where he mobilized forces to invade El Salvador but was defeated. Some time later, when he returned to El Salvador, he was lynched by a mob in San Fernando.