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The Conservative Party (Spanish: Partido Conservador, PC) was a political party in Guatemala during the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
History
The PC was originally the Bacos, a group of merchants opposed to the Cacos, who went on to form the Liberal Party. Opposed to social and economic change, it sought to preserve the power of wealthy landowners and the Catholic Church.
In opposition from 1830, the Conservatives gained power in 1839 when Rafael Carrera, the first caudillo in Guatemala, took control of the government. He held power from 1839 onwards either directly during his two spells as president (1844–48 and 1851–65) or through others, and was declared President for Life in 1854, remaining in office until his death in 1865.
After Carrera's death the party struggled to find a charismatic replacement. The Conservatives lost power to the Liberals in 1871, and their economic policies gained the support of many Conservatives. The Liberals remained in power until the 1920s.