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Lieutenant Colonel José María Lemus Lopez (July 22, 1911 – March 31, 1993) was President of El Salvador 14 September 1956 - 26 October 1960. He was a military ruler and member of the Party of Democratic Unification. He put into law the Tenant Law, over people renting and the renters of houses or "Mesones, called also Vecindades" (humble apartment units with shared bathrooms). He stated in the law that people cannot increase the rent more than 10% every year and made Rent Contract in houses obligatory with the objective of protecting the renter. He was overthrown in a bloodless coup and a new, short-lived Junta government was formed consisting of three military (Miguel Ángel Castillo, César Yanes Urías, Rubén Alonso Rosales) and three civilian (Ricardo Falla Cáceres, Fabio Castillo Figueroa, Rene Fortín Magaña.)