Manuel Colom Argueta (8 April 1932 – 22 March 1979) was mayor of Guatemala City and an important progressive leader of the opposition in Guatemala. Born in Guatemala City, Colom studied at the El Rosario school, the Liceo Infantil and Escuela Nacional República de Costa Rica (1940–1946), completing his secondary schooling at the Instituto Nacional Central para Varones (INCV) where he became student association president. He graduated as one of the top students. He entered the College of Law at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala in 1950, again becoming a student leader there. He became involved in national campaigns for democracy and against the dictatorships during his studies and in 1955 was one of 33 citizens to publicly oppose the plebiscite aimed at confirming Carlos Castillo in