Ricardo Maduro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ricardo Maduro
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Maduro in Tegucigalpa in August 2003.
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| 34th President of Honduras | |
| In office 27 January 2002 – 27 January 2006 |
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| Vice President |
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| Preceded by | Carlos Roberto Flores |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Zelaya |
| President of the Central Bank of Honduras | |
| In office 27 January 1990 – 27 January 1994 |
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| President | Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero |
| Preceded by | Gonzalo Carías |
| Succeeded by | Roberto Galvez |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ricardo Rodolfo Maduro Joest
20 April 1946 Panama |
| Political party | National Party of Honduras |
| Spouse |
Melissa Callejas
(m. 2009)Aguas Santas Ocaña Navarro
(m. 2002; div. 2006) |
| Alma mater | Stanford University (BEc) |
Ricardo Rodolfo Maduro Joest was born on April 20, 1946, in Panama. He is a Honduran economist and politician. He served as the 34th President of Honduras from January 27, 2002, to January 27, 2006. Before becoming president, Maduro was the chairman of the Central Bank of Honduras. He is a member of the National Party.
Maduro studied at The Lawrenceville School and later at Stanford University. He comes from the Levy-Maduro family, with roots in Portugal, the Netherlands, and the Netherlands Antilles.
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Early Life and Career
Ricardo Maduro is of Jewish background. He had three daughters and a son from his first marriage to Miriam Andréu. In 1997, his son, Ricardo Ernesto, passed away. This sad event deeply affected Maduro and inspired him to seek the presidency. It also helped him gain public support.
Before he could run for president, there was a debate because the Honduran constitution said that only people born in Honduras could be president. Even though he was born in Panama, he was eventually allowed to be a candidate.
Becoming President of Honduras (2002-2006)
During his campaign for the 2001 elections, Ricardo Maduro promised to fight crime. He specifically aimed to tackle the problem of gangs like the Mara Salvatrucha. After he became president, he quickly sent soldiers into the big cities to help the local police.
The National Congress, which was controlled by his party, passed new laws. These laws made it a crime to be part of an illegal group. This led to many gang members being put in jail.
In October 2002, Maduro married Aguas Santas Ocaña Navarro from Spain. They met when she worked at the Spanish Embassy in Honduras. After he left office, they divorced. Aguas Santas then moved to Nicaragua to work with a charity for children. Ricardo Maduro stayed in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
On May 1, 2005, a small plane carrying Maduro crashed into the Caribbean Sea near Tela. Luckily, Maduro, his daughter Lorena, and the pilot were not seriously hurt. Local people helped rescue them. He was taken to a hospital in Comayagua to recover.
On November 27, 2005, Maduro oversaw new presidential and general elections. His party lost the presidency to the Liberal Party of Honduras (PLH). Manuel Zelaya became the new president, taking over from Maduro on January 27, 2006.
After the Presidency
Today, Ricardo Maduro is the President of Inversiones la Paz in Tegucigalpa. He is also very involved in an education organization he started. This organization is called the Fundacion para la Educacion Ricardo Ernesto Maduro Andreu, or FEREMA.
FEREMA helps provide education to young children from families with lower incomes. Maduro believes that kindergarten is a very important part of a child's life. He thinks it helps children succeed in their studies later on.
Honors and Recognition
- Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon (Republic of China)
See also
In Spanish: Ricardo Maduro para niños
- History of Honduras
- Politics of Honduras
