Roberto Suazo Córdova
Encyclopedia
Roberto Suazo Córdova is a former President of Honduras
.
. In 1953 Suazo returned to his hometown, where he practiced medicine for 25 years.
During his stay in La Paz, Doctor Suazo entered political life as a Liberal
.
Suazo represented La Paz in the Honduran Congress as a Liberal and eventually became the most important figure in the party in 1979. At that time Suazo replaced Liberal Party leader Modesto Rodas as general coordinator of the party.
In 1980 the military rulers headed by General Policarpo Paz
, decided to restore the civil power in Honduras
, under a new constitution
. Roberto Suazo was elected president of the subsequent constitutional convention.
Due to his popularity among the Liberals, Suazo came be their presidential candidate for the elections of 1981. In November of that same year, Suazo became the first constitutional president of Honduras after ten years of military rule.
In the elections for president, Doctor Suazo defeated his rival Ricardo Zúñiga of the National Party of Honduras
convincingly, with 53% of the popular vote.
with a promise to carry out an ambitious program of economic and social development in Honduras in order to tackle the country's recession.
Suazo was counting on U.S. financial aid to implement his plan. Honduras was very important to the interests of the United States in the region at that time, in particular due to the resilience of Fidel Castro
in Cuba
and the toppling of Nicaragua
n dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle
by the Sandinistas.
Although U.S. aid was plentiful and on time, Suazo's government was incapable of rebuilding Honduras's damaged economy.
The deficit of the country skyrocketed, as military expenditures increased a great deal.
President Suazo tried desperately to find a solution, and fired most of the members of his cabinet. However this did nothing to arrest the country's economic decline.
President of Honduras
This page lists the Presidents of Honduras.Colonial Honduras declared its independence from Spain on 15 September 1821. From 5 January 1822 to 1 July 1823, Honduras was part of the First Mexican Empire of Agustín de Iturbide....
.
Biography
In 1949, he graduated as a doctor from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. After his graduation, Suazo practiced his profession in the general hospital of Guatemala CityGuatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
. In 1953 Suazo returned to his hometown, where he practiced medicine for 25 years.
During his stay in La Paz, Doctor Suazo entered political life as a Liberal
Liberal Party of Honduras
The Liberal Party of Honduras is a centre-left liberal political party in Honduras that was founded in 1891. The party is a member of the Liberal International...
.
Suazo represented La Paz in the Honduran Congress as a Liberal and eventually became the most important figure in the party in 1979. At that time Suazo replaced Liberal Party leader Modesto Rodas as general coordinator of the party.
In 1980 the military rulers headed by General Policarpo Paz
Policarpo Paz García
Policarpo Juan Paz García was a Honduran military leader and autocrat who served as President of Honduras from 7 August 1978 until 27 January 1982....
, decided to restore the civil power in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, under a new constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
. Roberto Suazo was elected president of the subsequent constitutional convention.
Due to his popularity among the Liberals, Suazo came be their presidential candidate for the elections of 1981. In November of that same year, Suazo became the first constitutional president of Honduras after ten years of military rule.
In the elections for president, Doctor Suazo defeated his rival Ricardo Zúñiga of the National Party of Honduras
National Party of Honduras
The National Party is a centre-right conservative political party in Honduras and the main right-wing political party in the country. Founded in 1902 the PNH is identified with the color blue as its rival the Liberal Party of Honduras , is red. All the democratic elections in Honduras have been...
convincingly, with 53% of the popular vote.
Presidency
Roberto Suazo won the Honduran general election, 1981Honduran general election, 1981
General elections were held in Honduras on 29 November 1981. Each voter had a single vote to cast for a presidential candidate, with seats in the National Congress divided based on the share of the vote their presidential candidate had won. The result was a victory for Roberto Suazo Cordova and the...
with a promise to carry out an ambitious program of economic and social development in Honduras in order to tackle the country's recession.
Suazo was counting on U.S. financial aid to implement his plan. Honduras was very important to the interests of the United States in the region at that time, in particular due to the resilience of Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and the toppling of Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
n dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle was a Nicaraguan leader and officially the 73rd and 76th President of Nicaragua from 1 May 1967 to 1 May 1972 and from 1 December 1974 to 17 July 1979. As head of the National Guard, he was de facto ruler of the country from 1967 to 1979...
by the Sandinistas.
Although U.S. aid was plentiful and on time, Suazo's government was incapable of rebuilding Honduras's damaged economy.
The deficit of the country skyrocketed, as military expenditures increased a great deal.
President Suazo tried desperately to find a solution, and fired most of the members of his cabinet. However this did nothing to arrest the country's economic decline.