▁Party . ▁ ▁Pan ama ▁had ▁been , ▁for ▁all ▁int ents ▁and ▁purposes , ▁a ▁U . S . ▁prote ctor ate ▁since ▁gain ing ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁A rias ▁led ▁a ▁coup ▁that ▁de posed ▁Liberal ▁President ▁Flor en cio ▁Har mod io ▁A ros em ena . ▁The ▁next ▁year , ▁he ▁helped ▁his ▁brother ▁Har mod io ▁become ▁president . ▁He ▁subsequently ▁served ▁in ▁cabinet ▁and ▁diplom atic ▁posts . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁president ▁by ▁an ▁un pre ced ented ▁majority ▁as ▁the ▁candidate ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Revolution ary ▁Party ▁( PN R , ▁which ▁became ▁the ▁Pan ame ñ ista ▁Party ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 4 0 s ). ▁So on ▁after ▁taking ▁office , ▁A rias ▁en act ed ▁a ▁new ▁constitution ▁that ▁granted ▁women ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁vote ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁He ▁was ▁ou sted ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁in ▁a ▁coup ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁He ▁ran ▁for ▁president ▁again ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁as ▁the ▁candidate ▁of ▁a ▁coal ition ▁of ▁his ▁party ▁and ▁the ▁Auth entic ▁Revolution ary ▁Party ▁and ▁lost . ▁ ▁However , ▁a ▁year ▁later ▁the ▁National ▁Assembly ▁declared ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁actually ▁won . ▁He ▁susp ended ▁the ▁constitution ▁and ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁secret ▁police ▁force . ▁Cor ruption ▁was ▁w ides p read ,