On May 25, 1993, President Jorge Serrano led an autocoup – a coup d'état against the country's own governmentdissolving the constitution and the National Congress, and giving the order to arrest de León. He avoided arrest by escaping over the roofs of the adjacent houses, and was then able to send out a condemnation of the coup. On June 1, Serrano was forced to flee the country. The army wanted to install the conservative Gustavo Espina, Vice-President under Serrano, as the new President. De León had already accused him of violating the constitution during the autocoup. On June 5, Espina resigned, and after an overwhelming vote of confidence from the National Congress, de León was quickly sworn in as President until January 14, 1996, the day Serrano had been due to finish his term.