Daniel Chanis Pinzón#1949 coup d'état

Chanis earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1917, practicing medicine in both Panama and Scotland.{{cite web|url=http://www.pa/secciones/patria/danielchanis.htm |title=Historia Patria: Daniel Chanis Pinzón |publisher=Republica de Panama |access-date=2010-01-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203134247/http://www.pa/secciones/patria/danielchanis.htm |archive-date=2010-12-03 }} Chanis published a paper in the American Urological Association's Journal of Urology in 1942 titled "Some Aspects of Hermaphroditism: Report of a Case of Female Pseudohermaphroditism" in 1942.{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=3RtYAAAAMAAJ&q=%22daniel+chanis%22|title= Some Aspects of Hermaphroditism: Report of a Case of Female Pseudohermaphroditism|author= Daniel Chanis|year= 1942|publisher= American Urological Association|access-date=2010-01-03}} He also served as General Council of Panama in Liverpool and London, and as Treasury Minister.

National police forces, under the command of Remón, were called in ostensibly to maintain the monitor the elections,{{cite book |title= The history of Panama|last= Harding|first= Robert C.|year= 2006|publisher= Greenwood Press|isbn= 978-0-313-33322-4|page= 48|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=c9SbTJHy5TsC&q=%22Domingo+D%C3%ADaz+Arosemena%22&pg=PA48|access-date=2010-01-01}} though in reality their presence was intended to sway the voting to Diaz Arosemena, the preferred candidate of the United States.{{cite book |title= Media power in Central America|last1= Rockwell|first1= Rick J.|last2= Janus|first2= Noreene|year= 2003|publisher= University of Illinois Press|isbn= 978-0-252-02802-1|pages= 54|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7W_dkT4DcAMC&q=%22Domingo+D%C3%ADaz+Arosemena%22&pg=PA54|access-date=2010-01-01}} Chanis ran as the First Vice-Presidential candidate with Díaz Arosemena. Though Arias appeared to have 1,500 more votes than Díaz Arosemena following the May 9 election, the Panamanian national elections jury declared Díaz Arosemena the winner on August 6 by a margin of approximately 2,400 votes.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ci8aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3CQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3388,3329862&dq=daniel-chanis&hl=en|date=1948-08-07|access-date=2009-12-30|publisher=Milwaukee Journal|title=Final Count Shows Arias Lost May 9 Voting in Panama}} Arias fled to Costa Rica following the decision. Chanis assumed the duties of First Vice=President on October 1, 1948.

Chanis was sworn in as acting chief executive on July 28, 1949, when then president Domingo Diaz Arosemena took a six-month leave for health reasons.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LB8hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p2QEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5214,5052951&dq=daniel-chanis&hl=en|title=President of Panama Dead|date=1949-08-23|access-date=2009-12-30|publisher=Sarasota herald-Tribune}} Chanis became president following Arosemena's death on August 23, 1949.

Chanis's presidency came to an end on November 20, 1949. Panamanian Police Chief José Remón led a coup d'état in response to Chanis's refusal to overturn a Panama Supreme Court decision invalidating a contract between an abattoir that was "part of Remón's business empire"{{cite book |title= Prize Possession: The United States Government and the Panama Canal 1903-1979|last= Major|first= John|year= 2003|publisher= Cambridge University Press|isbn= 978-0-521-52126-0|page= 271|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=EuE7JzqGliQC&q=%22daniel+chanis%22&pg=PA271|access-date=2010-01-01}} and several powerful Panamanian families. Chanis had asked for Remón's resignation previously,{{cite book |title= Military Foundations of Panamanian Politics|last= Harding, Robert C.|year= 2001|publisher= Transaction Publishers|isbn= 978-0-7658-0075-6|page= 37|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=T-8vDg7V9awC&q=%22daniel+chanis%22&pg=PA37|access-date=2010-01-01}} and, when Remón refused, tendered his own resignation in protest.{{cite book |title= The Panama Canal: the crisis in historical perspective|last= LaFeber|first= Walter|orig-year= 1978|year= 1990|publisher= Oxford University Press, USA|isbn= 978-0-19-505930-4|page= 85|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=pBI5n6VBBZEC&q=%22daniel+chanis%22&pg=PA85|access-date=2010-01-01}} Whether this resignation was voluntary or forced by Remón is unclear, although it would appear that foreign diplomatic pressure, not wanting to see full out bloodshed, encouraged the resignation. Chanis was replaced by Second Vice-president, and Remón's cousin, Roberto Chiari.

Shortly after his resignation, Chanis had a change of heart and withdrew his resignation, claiming it came under duress,{{cite web |url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BocNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KE4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4613,1046477&dq=arnulfo-arias&hl=en|title= Panama Police Say Ex-President Arias Again Heads Country|date= 1949-11-25|publisher= St. Petersburg Times|access-date=2010-01-03}} and delivered a "blistering attack" on Remón before the General Assembly. The Assembly, at the behest of former president Harmodio Arias, supported Chanis, and prepared for confrontation with the national police. Chiari forced his hand, however, and demanded the Panama Supreme Court rule on who, he or Chanis, was the constitutional president; the Supreme Court came back in favor of Chanis by a 4–1 vote. This misstep, and his desire to avoid violence, led Remón to replace him with his former "bitter political enemy"{{cite web |url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lBMpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3dYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2979,4075327&hl=en|title= Third President in Riotous Week Rules in Panama |date= 1949-11-25|publisher= Southeast Missourian|access-date=2010-01-03}} Arnulfo Arias, with the approval of the Panama Congress. To legitimize the presidency, the national election jury, who had in 1948 ruled against Arias, " found pro-Arias votes it had been unable to find in weeks after the 1948 balloting".

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{{succession box

|title=First Vice President of Panama

|before=Ernesto de la Guardia

|after=Roberto Chiari

|years=1948–1949}}

{{succession box

|title=President of Panama

|before=Domingo Díaz Arosemena

|after=Roberto Chiari

|years=July 1949 – November 1949}}

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{{Presidents and heads of state of Panama}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chanis Pinzon, Daniel}}

Category:1892 births

Category:1961 deaths

Category:People from Panama City

Category:20th-century presidents of Panama

Category:Vice presidents of Panama

Category:National Liberal Party (Panama) politicians

Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh