[[General Ríos Montt]] was a Pentecostal "true believer" who became president of [[Guatemala]] in an army coup in March 1982. He was supported by the [[Ronald Reagan]] administration and aided by Full Gospel businessman [[John Carrette]], a former Army Ranger in [[Vietnam]].[^1] Montt's military regime (1982–1983) was involved in some of the worst atrocities of [[Guatemala]]'s 36-year civil war. Despite this, the [[Ronald Reagan]] administration continued to support him, with [[Ronald Reagan]] declaring in December 1982 that Montt was "a man of great personal integrity and commitment" who wanted to improve the quality of life for Guatemalans and promote social justice. In January 1983, Reagan agreed to sell [[Guatemala]] millions of dollars worth of helicopter spare parts, a decision that did not require Congressional approval.[^1] Montt's extreme version of Christian fundamentalism eventually led to his ousting in another coup in August 1983 by General [[Oscar Mejia Victores]]. In 1984, Montt spoke at an [[Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International|FGBMFI]] world convention, and [[Ronald Reagan]] succeeded in pressuring Congress to approve $300,000 in military training for the Guatemalan army.[^1] --- ### Footnotes [^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.