Countercoup successful The 1961 Salvadoran coup d'état was a successful countercoup in El Salvador led by Colonel Anibal Portillo against the short-lived Junta of Government that had taken power in 1960, replacing the reformist military junta with an ardent anti-Communist government named the Civic-Military Directory.

[3] These concerns were further exacerbated by the visit to Cuba by far-left Salvadoran extremists, spurring the disunited Armed Forces to unify in safeguarding the state from Communism.

[2] On January 25, 1961, the planned military coup, which had the backing of every top army official, was finally executed, ending in the successful deposing of the six-man civilian-military junta.

The avowedly anti-Communist Civic-Military Directory that succeeded them permitted the continued activity of all non-Communist political parties ahead of planned congressional elections.

[1] Fulfilling their promise to return the country to constitutional government, constituent assembly elections were held in December.