Roberto Micheletti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roberto Micheletti
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Micheletti in 2009
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| 36th President of Honduras | |
| In office June 28, 2009 – January 27, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Manuel Zelaya |
| Succeeded by | Porfirio Lobo Sosa |
| President of the National Congress | |
| In office January 25, 2006 – June 28, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Porfirio Lobo Sosa |
| Succeeded by | José Alfredo Saavedra (Acting) |
| Deputy of the Yoro Department | |
| In office January 25, 1982 – January 26, 2006 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Roberto Micheletti Baín
August 13, 1943 El Progreso, Yoro, Honduras |
| Political party | Liberal Party |
| Spouse | Siomara Girón |
| Children | 3 |
| Profession | Businessperson |
Roberto Micheletti Baín (born August 13, 1943) is a Honduran politician. He served as the interim, or temporary, 36th president of Honduras from June 28, 2009, to January 27, 2010. This happened after the Honduran military removed the previous president, Manuel Zelaya.
The National Congress of Honduras then chose Micheletti to be the new president. However, most other countries and international groups did not officially recognize him as the rightful president. The next election happened as planned in November 2009, and Porfirio Lobo Sosa was elected to take over from Micheletti.
Before becoming president, Micheletti was the head of Honduras' National Congress. He had been a representative in Congress since 1982. Micheletti is a member of the Liberal Party of Honduras.
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Family Life
Roberto Micheletti was born in El Progreso, in the Yoro Department of Honduras. He was the eighth of nine children in his family, with six brothers and three sisters.
His father, Umberto Micheletti, came from Bergamo in Lombardy, Italy. His mother, Donatella Bain Moya, was also born in El Progreso.
Roberto Micheletti is married to Siomara Girón, and they have three children together.
Political Journey
In 1963, Micheletti was part of the honor guard for President Ramón Villeda Morales. When the military removed President Villeda, Micheletti was arrested and held for 27 days. In 1973, he moved to the United States, living in Tampa, Florida, and then New Orleans, Louisiana, for two years. He returned to Honduras in 1976. While in the USA, he finished high school and started his own business.
Serving as a Deputy
Micheletti became a representative (called a Deputy) in the Honduran Congress in 1982. He held this position until June 2009, except for a short time when he managed Hondutel, which was Honduras' national telephone company.
In 1985, Micheletti was part of a group of deputies who wanted the National Congress to become a special assembly to change the country's constitution. This idea was meant to allow the president at the time, Roberto Suazo Córdova, to run for president again. However, most other members of Congress did not support this idea, so it was dropped.
Micheletti tried twice to become his party's candidate for president. Both times, he did not win the internal election. The last time was in 2008, when Elvin Santos won the Liberal Party's nomination for the November 2009 presidential election.
Leading the National Congress
Micheletti was the president of the National Congress of Honduras from January 25, 2006, until June 28, 2009. Even though he and Manuel Zelaya were from the same political party, they had disagreements before the events of 2009.
Interim President of Honduras (2009-2010)
The Supreme Court of Honduras said that President Manuel Zelaya had broken some laws and ordered his arrest. On the morning of Sunday, June 28, 2009, the military took President Zelaya out of the country and sent him to Costa Rica.
After this, a letter that seemed to be from President Manuel Zelaya saying he resigned was read to the National Congress of Honduras. Zelaya later said he did not write this letter. The Congress then voted to remove Zelaya from his position. They chose Roberto Micheletti, who was the head of Congress, to become the new interim president. He was to finish the presidential term that ended on January 27, 2010.
The Honduran constitution stated that if the president was removed, the head of Congress should become the temporary leader. This happened because the Vice President, Elvin Ernesto Santos, had already resigned in December 2008 to run for president.
During Micheletti's time as interim president, there were protests both for and against him. The groups who supported him did not face the same kind of police action as those who protested against him.
Inside Honduras, his government was supported by groups like Unión Cívica Democrática. It was opposed by a group called the "Resistance."
Very few international governments or organizations supported Micheletti's government. Many world leaders said they did not agree with President Zelaya's removal. They often asked for Zelaya to be put back in power.
The Organization of American States (OAS) said it would only recognize Manuel Zelaya as the president. The United States also spoke out against Zelaya's removal. Leaders from the European Union and countries like Cuba and Venezuela also condemned the events.
In an open letter to the Wall Street Journal in July 2009, Roberto Micheletti explained why the Honduran government believed Zelaya's removal was justified. Micheletti stated that the Supreme Court, most of Congress, and other important groups supported the decision. He also said it was not a "military coup" because the military was following orders from a civilian court, and a civilian from the line of succession replaced Zelaya.
In March 2010, the US Department of State released a report on human rights. It stated that on June 28, 2009, the military removed President Jose Manuel Zelaya, and Roberto Micheletti became the leader of a temporary government. The report also mentioned that while the removal was not violent, later events led to some loss of life and limits on people's freedom of movement, speech, and gathering.
An opinion poll taken in October 2009 showed that 48% of Hondurans thought Micheletti's performance was good or excellent. 50% thought it was bad or poor.
The 2009 Honduran general election took place as planned on November 29. Porfirio Lobo Sosa, from the National Party of Honduras, won the election with 56.56% of the votes. He became president on January 27, 2010.
Permanent Legislator Status
In January 2010, the Honduran Congress gave Micheletti the special status of "legislator for life." This appointment did not mean he was protected from any legal actions, as some news sources incorrectly reported.
Attack on His Daughter
On November 5, 2013, one of Micheletti's daughters was shot at while she was in a car with her driver and guards. She was not seriously hurt.
See also
In Spanish: Roberto Micheletti para niños
- Adolfo Facussé, a well-known Honduran businessman who supported Roberto Micheletti.
