Marco Aurelio Soto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marco Aurelio Soto
President of Honduras
In office 27 August 1876 – 19 October 1883
Preceded by	José María Medina
Succeeded by	Luis Bográn
Personal details
Born	13 November 1846 Tegucigalpa
Died	25 February 1908 Paris
Nationality	Honduran
Political party	liberal

Marco Aurelio Soto (born November 13, 1846 – died February 25, 1908) was the President of Honduras from 1876 to 1883. He was known as a liberal leader. This means he believed in making big changes to improve the country. He had a huge impact on Honduras during his time, including starting the Biblioteca Nacional de Honduras (National Library of Honduras) in 1880.

Life and Early Career

Marco Aurelio Soto was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. His parents were Dr. Maximo Soto and Francisca Martínez. When he was nine years old, he moved to Guatemala with his father. There, he studied very well and became a successful lawyer.

As a young man, Marco Aurelio Soto started to get noticed. He wrote many good articles about literature and politics. These political writings were inspired by the ideas of the 1871 revolution.

Working for the Government

General Justo Rufino Barrios asked Soto to work for the government. Soto became a Sub-secretary of state and showed great talent. Soon after, he was put in charge of important government departments. These included the Ministry of the Interior, Justice, and Church Affairs.

Later, he also took on the roles of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Education. In the education role, he did something very important. He set up the first public schools for children and teenagers. These schools were based on modern ideas.

In 1876, Soto was sent to Guatemala as a special representative. His job was to help make peace between Guatemala and El Salvador. He did this successfully and signed a peace agreement called the Soto-Ulloa Treaty.

Presidency of Honduras

Marco Aurelio Soto led Honduras as president for several years. In 1876, he served as a temporary president. In 1877, he became the official president and was re-elected, staying in office until 1883.

Liberal Reforms and Progress

During his time as president, Soto worked with Ramon Rosa to start many important changes. These changes are known as "liberal reforms." They aimed to fix the difficult situation in Honduras. These reforms improved how the government worked, the economy, and society.

President Soto wanted to make communication better in Honduras. He worked on building some railroads and a telegraph system. He also started a big education program, which was new for the country. Another important change was moving the capital city to Tegucigalpa.

Even with all these improvements, Honduras still faced challenges. The country did not have many products like coffee to sell to other countries. This made it hard to pay for all the new buildings and systems needed.

End of Presidency

Later, Soto's presidency faced problems from the Guatemalan government, led by Justo Rufino Barrios. Because of this, Marco Aurelio Soto left Honduras. He left the country in the care of a group of ministers.

See also

In Spanish: Marco Aurelio Soto para niños