He served as a supplement deputy of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador in 1931 and as the minister of war, the navy, and aviation for one day in December 1931 before being overthrown in a coup d'état.

[4] According to Leopoldo Ovidio Rodríguez, a writer for the Opinión Estudiantil newspaper, López's appointment was illegal due to article 63 of the constitution of El Salvador prohibiting incumbent deputies of the Legislative Assembly from holding any other office with the exception of diplomatic offices.

[6] The following day, the Armed Forces of El Salvador launched a coup d'état against Araujo.

The military established the Civic Directory to rule El Salvador and replaced López as defense minister with Colonel Osmín Aguirre y Salinas.

[7] Although López was the first presidential designate, he did not assume the presidency as he fled El Salvador along with Araujo.