Manuel Zelaya facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Manuel Zelaya
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Zelaya at his wife's presidential inauguration in 2022.
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| 35th President of Honduras | |
| In office January 27, 2006 – June 28, 2009 |
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| Vice President |
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| Preceded by | Ricardo Maduro |
| Succeeded by | Roberto Micheletti (interim) |
| First Gentleman of Honduras | |
| Assumed role January 27, 2022 |
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| President | Xiomara Castro |
| Preceded by | Ana García Carías (as First Lady) |
| Leader of Libre | |
| Assumed office June 26, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Party established |
| Deputy of the Olancho Department | |
| In office January 25, 2014 – January 25, 2018 |
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| In office January 25, 1986 – January 25, 1998 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
José Manuel Zelaya Rosales
September 20, 1952 Catacamas, Olancho, Honduras |
| Political party | Liberal Party (1970–2011) LIBRE (2011–present) |
| Spouse |
Xiomara Castro
(m. 1976) |
| Children | 4 (including Xiomara) |
| Alma mater | National Autonomous University of Honduras (Incomplete) |
José Manuel Zelaya Rosales (born September 20, 1952) is a Honduran politician. He was the 35th President of Honduras from 2006 until he was removed from office in 2009. Since January 2022, he has been the first First Gentleman of Honduras. This means he is the husband of the current president.
Manuel Zelaya is the oldest son of a rich businessman. He inherited his father's nickname, "Mel". Before becoming a politician, he worked in his family's businesses, which included logging and timber.
When he was elected, Zelaya was part of the Liberal Party. During his time as president, he started to support more left-leaning ideas. He formed an alliance with the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA). This group focuses on working together socially, politically, and economically in Latin America.
On June 28, 2009, the military removed him from office and sent him to Costa Rica. This event is known as a coup d'état. A coup is when a group, often the military, illegally takes power from a government.
On September 21, 2009, Zelaya secretly returned to Honduras. He appeared at the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa. In 2010, he left Honduras again for the Dominican Republic. He stayed there for over a year.
Today, he represents Honduras as a deputy in the Central American Parliament. Since 1976, Zelaya has been married to Xiomara Castro. She is the current President of Honduras, elected in 2021. When his wife became president, Zelaya became the first "First Gentleman" in Honduras's history.
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Early Life and Family
Zelaya was born in Juticalpa, Olancho. He was the oldest of four children. His family first lived in Copán before moving to Catacamas, Olancho. His mother, Ortensia Rosales de Zelaya, was known for being a great supporter during his political campaigns.
He went to elementary school at Niño Jesús de Praga y Luis Landa. He also attended Instituto Salesiano San Miguel. He started studying civil engineering at university. However, he left in 1976 to work in agriculture and forestry. He took over his family's businesses, which included timber and cattle. Today, he owns land in Olancho.
In 1987, Zelaya became a manager for the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP). He also managed the National Association of Wood Processing Enterprises.
Political Journey
Zelaya joined the Liberal Party of Honduras in 1970. He became very active in the party ten years later. He served as a deputy in the National Congress for three terms. This was from 1985 to 1998.
He held many roles within the Liberal Party. He was also a Minister for Investment in a previous Liberal Party government. In the 2005 presidential elections, his group was called Movimiento Esperanza Liberal (MEL). He won the 2005 general election with 49.9% of the votes. He defeated Porfirio Lobo Sosa, who was the candidate for the National party.
Presidency (2006-2009)
During his time as president, Honduras joined ALBA. This is an international group that helps countries in Latin America and the Caribbean work together. Joining ALBA showed that Zelaya was moving towards more left-leaning policies. He had been elected on a more conservative plan. Some people, especially business leaders, did not like his foreign policy. They were against his alliance with Hugo Chávez from Venezuela and his friendship with Cuba's Raúl Castro.
Even with some economic challenges, Zelaya's presidency had important achievements. His government made education free for all children. They also gave money to small farmers. Bank interest rates were lowered, and the minimum wage was increased by 80%. School meals were provided for over 1.6 million children from poor families. Domestic workers were included in the social security system. Poverty was reduced by almost 10% in two years. The government also gave direct help to 200,000 very poor families. They also provided free electricity to those who needed it most.
Working with ALBA
On July 22, 2008, Zelaya wanted Honduras to join ALBA. This group focuses on social, political, and economic cooperation. It aims to bring countries in Latin America and the Caribbean closer.
Media Challenges
Zelaya said that the main news outlets in Honduras were against him. He felt they did not report on what his government was doing. He believed there was censorship of his government by the media. Most radio, TV stations, and newspapers were owned by a few wealthy families.
In May 2007, Zelaya ordered ten two-hour cadenas. These are mandatory government broadcasts on all TV and radio stations. He said this was to correct false information from the news. This action was legal but was criticized by journalists.
Efforts to Change the Constitution
Zelaya became widely known in June 2009 when the military removed him from office. The main reason for this crisis was his plan to change the 1982 Honduran Constitution. Zelaya wanted to hold a national poll to see if people wanted a new constitution. This caused a strong reaction from opposing political parties.
Those who carried out the coup said Zelaya's plan was illegal. They claimed he wanted to stay in office longer. Zelaya denied this. He said he planned to leave office in January 2010, as scheduled. He also noted that his successor would be elected at the same time as the vote on the new constitution.
Under Honduran law, the president can change most parts of the constitution. However, eight articles cannot be changed. These include rules about how long a president can serve.
The Referendum Plan
In November 2008, Zelaya announced a plan for a poll. This poll would ask voters if they wanted a fourth ballot box in the November 2009 election. This fourth ballot would ask if people wanted to create a new constitution. In March 2009, Zelaya said he first wanted a preliminary poll on June 28, 2009. This poll would ask if voters wanted the fourth ballot in the November election.
There was much debate about whether Zelaya's poll was legal. The Supreme Court ruled that a lower court's decision to block the poll was lawful. The Supreme Court's decision was supported by Congress and other government bodies. They all said Zelaya was breaking the law.
Despite this opposition, Zelaya moved forward with his plan for the poll on June 28, 2009. In Honduras, the military helps with elections. Zelaya asked the military to help distribute ballot materials. The head of the military, General Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, refused. Zelaya then tried to fire Vásquez. The Supreme Court and Congress said this firing was illegal.
Constitutional Crisis
The Coup
On June 28, 2009, the Supreme Court ordered Zelaya's arrest. The military then captured him. He was taken to an air force base and flown to Costa Rica. This started the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis.
The military said they exiled Zelaya to prevent violence. Zelaya spoke to the media from Costa Rica. He called the events a coup and a kidnapping. He said soldiers pulled him from his bed and attacked his guards. Zelaya stated he would not recognize anyone named as his successor. He wanted to finish his term as president.
The National Congress voted to accept what they said was Zelaya's resignation letter. However, Zelaya said he did not write the letter. Roberto Micheletti, the head of the National Congress, then became the interim president. Many international groups, like the United Nations, condemned the coup. They demanded that Zelaya be put back in office.
After the coup, poverty and unemployment in Honduras increased.
Return to Honduras
On September 21, 2009, Zelaya and his wife arrived at the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa. Zelaya said he traveled through mountains for 15 hours to reach the embassy. Hundreds of his supporters gathered outside the embassy.
Micheletti first denied Zelaya had returned, but later confirmed it. He then declared a state of emergency and a curfew. He asked Brazil to hand Zelaya over for trial. Brazil refused to do so. Soldiers and police surrounded the Brazilian embassy.
Leaders from other countries, like Costa Rica and the U.S., urged talks for a peaceful solution. On October 29, 2009, an agreement was signed. It would allow Zelaya to serve the rest of his term if Congress agreed. However, Zelaya later said the agreement was "dead" because Micheletti formed a unity government without his input.
2009 Presidential Election
On November 29, 2009, a presidential election was held. Zelaya called for people to boycott the vote. Many Hondurans, however, wanted to move past the crisis with the elections. Porfirio Lobo, a conservative, was elected president. Some groups in Honduras and other countries said the election was not fair because it happened after the coup.
On December 4, 2009, activists who supported Zelaya ended their daily protests. They said they were moving on since Congress voted against putting Zelaya back in office.
Exile and Return
On January 20, 2010, the Dominican Republic and Honduras's new president, Lobo, made a deal. This allowed Zelaya to travel safely from the Brazilian embassy to the Dominican Republic. Zelaya left Honduras on January 27, 2010. He lived in the Dominican Republic with his family until 2011.
On May 22, 2011, President Lobo met with Zelaya in Colombia. They signed an agreement that allowed Zelaya to return to Honduras. Six days later, on May 28, Zelaya flew back to Honduras. Thousands of his supporters greeted him at the airport. He gave a speech calling for peace and more democracy in the country.
The Role of the United States
In 2015 and 2016, emails from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were released. Some people argued that these emails showed the U.S. was more focused on the scheduled elections than on putting Zelaya back in office. Zelaya himself criticized both Clinton and the U.S. government. He said they condemned the coup but also negotiated with its leaders.
First Gentleman of Honduras
When his wife, Xiomara Castro, became president in January 2022, Manuel Zelaya became the first "First Gentleman" in Honduran history. This means he holds the official title as the spouse of the president.
Images for kids
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Zelaya at his wife's presidential inauguration in 2022.
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Manuel Zelaya in 2007.
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Zelaya with United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2009
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Zelaya in Brazil in August 2009
See also
In Spanish: Manuel Zelaya para niños
