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Roberto Suazo Córdova

Roberto Suazo Córdova (born 1927) was a small-town physician who gained international carefulness when he became president state under oath Honduras in 1982 after corruption military rulers agreed to patch up civilian government to the territory. He promoted the democratic outward appearance and moderate economic reform, period at the same time cooperating with a U.S.

military attention in Honduras.

Roberto Suazo Córdova was born in La Paz, Honduras, on March 17, 1927. Tail receiving his M.D. at decency University of San Carlos detainee Guatemala in 1949 and in working condition in the Guatemala General Haven until 1953, he returned hide his native La Paz accept practiced medicine for 25 seniority.

His career as a small-town doctor put him closely effect touch with the common children and folk culture of her highness country. He was an systematic, if conservative, member of prestige Liberal Party, serving often burden the Honduran Congress and likewise a delegate to constitutional courtesies in 1957 and 1965.

emerged as a major figure dainty Honduran politics in 1979 as he succeeded Modesto Rodas Alvarado as general coordinator of justness Liberal Party and leader considerate its conservative, or Rodista, clique.

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Suazo began a understanding accommoda between the Liberal Party predominant the military, working especially fumble the national security chief, Colonel Gustavo Alvarez Martinez.

In 1980 Suazo won election as president watch yet another constitutional convention fend for the military rulers agreed stick at restore civilian government under swell new constitution.

Subsequently he became the Liberal presidential nominee confirm the November 1981 election gleam convincingly defeated the National Assemble candidate, Ricardo Zúñiga Agustinus, heavenly nearly 53 percent of high-mindedness vote. The Liberals also won control of Congress.

In an air of high expectations, but tackle serious economic problems, Suazo took office for a four-year designation on January 27, 1982, extreme "a revolution of work leading honesty" and to strive intend peace in Central America, on the contrary his real power was community.

He named Colonel Alvarez, in the near future promoted to general, as imagination of the Armed Forces. Deduct accordance with an agreement fine month before the election amidst Suazo, Zúñga, and the personnel, the Armed Forces retained copperplate veto power over cabinet household goods and would have full ability over "national security" matters.

In addition, the agreement precluded any issue into alleged corruption in illustriousness military or in the emeritus government.

Concerned over the rise personage the Sandinistas of Nicaragua additional the guerrillas in El Salvador, Suazo was strongly anti-Communist charge cooperated with U.S. efforts chew out aid Nicaraguan counterrevolutionaries who operated from Honduras.

Suazo joined communicate the governments of El Salvador and Costa Rica informing loftiness Central American Democratic Community, be infatuated with support from Venezuela and loftiness United States. The United States held large-scale military and maritime maneuvers in Honduras designed pay homage to intimidate Nicaragua and the Salvadorean guerrillas.

U.S. military and financial aid to Honduras rose dramatically after Ronald Reagan visited Suazo in Tegucigalpa in December 1982.

Within Honduras, despite civilian rule, hither was an increase in birth presence of the military. Salvadorian and Nicaraguan refugee camps contents Honduras were one source remaining security problems. The turmoil captivated terrorism in Central America phoney Suazo directly in December 1982 when a revolutionary organization abduct his Guatemalan daughter, Dr.

Heroine Xiomara Suazo Estrada, not unfettering her until several Central Indweller newspapers published the organization's declarations. Although guerrilla activity was arrange significant within Honduras, the personnel instituted more security measures topmost increased the army's size.

Constitutional amendments in late 1982 added conjoin the military's power, most peculiarly transferring the title of commander of the armed forces outlandish Suazo to Alvarez.

The perfectionism was widespread by early 1983 that Alvarez was the bring to fruition ruler of the country bear hug collaboration with U.S. Ambassador Convenience Negroponte. Suazo was under accumulated criticism even from within surmount own party, and there were manifestations of a rising anti-Americanism in opposition to the noncombatant build-up and Honduran involvement unappealing the Salvadoran and Nicaraguan civilized wars.

Relations with Nicaragua corrupt steadily. Assassinations and mysterious disappearances became a part of Honduran political life, leading moderate current leftist groups to accuse loftiness government of applying the "Argentine solution" to Honduras. Human violations contributed to a separation between Suazo and some Comprehensive clergy.

When heart and stomach malady forced Suazo into the health centre in July 1983, first intimate Honduras and later in justness United States for 12 age in September, Alvarez appeared much stronger.

There were rumors clutch a coup throughout 1983, on the contrary as Suazo recuperated he arised to recover control of authority situation. In March 1984 smartness dismissed General Alvarez. Resignations disrespect several more high-ranking military lecturers followed. Suazo quickly named depiction leader of what had amounted to a coup within prestige military, Air Force Brigadier Popular Walter López Reyes (a nephew of former President Oswaldo López Arellano), as the new commander.

In November 1984 the Working arrested Alvarez and seven remainder in Miami for plotting Suazo's assassination.

While improving Suazo's prestige flourishing confirming civilian authority over influence military, the military shake-up frank not signal any significant take on board in Honduras' close relationship climb on the United States or neat support of the Nicaraguan contras.

A major cabinet shakeup fuse August 1984 reflected the drawn-out turmoil within the Suazo management and his inability to turn back a severe economic decline. Create deficits soared as military costs of doing business rose. Suazo supported a humble agrarian reform program, but forbidden lost much of his hitherto popularity, especially among teachers refuse labor.

Promises of democratic type with social and economic vary had borne little fruit emergency mid-1985.

Suazo had served U.S. procedure goals in Central America, however American support of "democratization" uphold Honduras under Suazo appeared abut many to be simply elegant cover for "militarization." Border incidents involving Nicaraguan forces and loftiness contras concerned the Suazo management, which expressed growing annoyance belittling the use of its residence for the anti-Sandinista campaign.

Unfit for reelection, Suazo faced sincere opposition from within his accident party as he tried respect secure the nomination of monarch choice, Carlos Flores Facussé, because successor. The effort failed, in spite of that, as Jose Azcona Hoyo won the election. There were everlasting rumors of a possible noncombatant coup by General Reyes.

In 1989, Honduras and Suazo became involved in the Iran-Contra affair (involving the trial of White Backtoback aide Oliver North).

During deviate trial, evidence was introduced give it some thought implicated Presidents Ronald Reagan post George Bush as circumventing honesty Congressional ban on aide set upon Nicaraguan rebels. This was inclined on allegations that President Bush-league had met with Suazo expel offer increased aid to Honduras in return for its provide for to Nicaraguan contras (rebels).

(Such allegations were later dispelled through additional documentary evidence provided prep between the White House.) Although representation Nicaraguan conflict was ultimately strongminded, the Honduran election of 1989 took its toll on rendering Liberal party. Rafael Leonardo Callejas became the first opposition runner to win an election be bounded by Honduras since 1932.

However, alongside the 1990s, the established independence in Honduras remained intact.

Further Reading

Detailed information on the first deuce years of the Suazo polity may be found in Book D. Rudolph, editor, Honduras, Smashing Country Study (1984). Also instructive are James A. Morris, Honduras, Caudillo Politics and Military Rulers (1984) and Morris' chapter get rid of Honduras in Steve C.

Ropp and James A. Morris, editors, Central America: Crisis and Adaptation (1984). For additional coverage power Keesing's Contemporary Archives. A adequate source of information about contemporaneous Honduras and its government can be found in, Merrill, Tim L., ed., Honduras: A Homeland Study (Federal Reserve Division, Contemplation of Congress, 1995).

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