 In June 1944 , a popular pro @-@ democracy movement led by university students and labor organizations forced Ubico to resign . He appointed a three @-@ person military junta to take his place , led by Federico Ponce Vaides . This junta continued Ubico 's oppressive policies , until it was toppled in a military coup led by Jacobo Árbenz in October 1944 , an event also known as the " October Revolution " . The coup leaders formed a junta which swiftly called for open elections . These elections were won in a landslide by Juan José Arévalo , a progressive professor of philosophy who had become the face of the popular movement . He implemented a moderate program of social reform , including a widely successful literacy campaign and a largely free election process , although illiterate women were not given the vote and communist parties were banned . 
