José Azcona del Hoyo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Azcona
|
|
|---|---|
Azcona in 1987
|
|
| President of Honduras | |
| In office 27 January 1986 – 27 January 1990 |
|
| Vice President | José Pineda Gómez |
| Preceded by | Roberto Suazo Córdova |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Leonardo Callejas |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
José Simón Azcona del Hoyo
26 January 1927 La Ceiba, Atlántida Department, Honduras |
| Died | 24 October 2005 (aged 78) Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| Political party | Liberal Party of Honduras |
| Spouse | Miriam Bocock |
| Alma mater | University of Monterrey |
| Profession | Businessman, politician |
José Simón Azcona del Hoyo was an important leader in Honduras. He was the President of Honduras from 1986 to 1990. He belonged to the Liberal Party of Honduras. José Azcona was born in La Ceiba, Honduras, in 1927.
Contents
Early Life and Education
José Azcona lived in Cantabria, Spain, with his grandparents from 1935 to 1949. He grew up during the Spanish Civil War, a difficult time in Spain's history.
In 1949, he returned to Honduras. He started working in his family's trading business. Later, he studied at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). He earned a degree in civil engineering. He also did more studies at the University of Monterrey in Mexico.
Becoming President of Honduras
In the 1985 election, the Liberal Party of Honduras (PLH) had four different candidates. José Azcona was one of them. The National Party of Honduras (PNH) had only one candidate, Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero.
Even though Callejas received more votes than any single PLH candidate, the PLH candidates together got more than half the votes. Since Azcona had the most votes among the PLH candidates, he became president. This was a special moment for Honduras. It was the first time since 1948 that power was passed peacefully from one elected president to another.
Key Actions as President
During his time as president, José Azcona faced many challenges. People have different ideas about how well he did. Some people remember him as an honest leader. They felt his government was fair.
However, others believed his economic plans were not strong enough. For example, he kept the value of the Honduran currency (the Honduran lempira) fixed against the US dollar. This caused some problems. There were also issues with fuel supply because of foreign credit problems.
Working for Peace
A major event during his presidency was the Central American peace process. This was a time when countries in Central America worked to end conflicts. When he left office in 1990, the Contra rebels in Nicaragua were starting to stop fighting.
Less known is the connection between Honduras and the US government's secret operations. These operations involved trading weapons for hostages in Iran. The money from these deals was used to fund rebels. This became known as the Iran Contra Affair.
Life After Presidency
After his presidency, Azcona focused on his construction business. In the late 1990s, he had a heart attack.
José Azcona passed away suddenly on October 24, 2005. He was 78 years old. He died from another heart attack at his home in Tegucigalpa.
Fun Facts
- José Azcona's last trip was to Pensacola, Florida. He visited his wife's family there before he died.
- His son, José Azcona Bocock, is an elected Congressman in Honduras.
- His daughter, Elizabeth Azcona Bocock, served as the Minister of Industry and Commerce.
