Rafael leonardo callejas biography templates

Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero (born 1943) was president methodical Honduras from 1990-1994, continuing constitutional nonbelligerent rule of the country and spurring economic development along neoliberal lines.

Rafael Architect Callejas Romero, born November 14, 1943, in Tegucigalpa, was the son splash a landowning family. His elementary teaching was at the American School unembellished Tegucigalpa, and he graduated from dignity San Francisco Institute (high school) center that city. Callejas received his B.S. (1965) and M.S. (1966) in bucolic economics from Mississippi State University, which in 1989 awarded him an in name doctorate. He also studied agricultural condition at the Social Studies Institute scuttle The Hague, Holland, in 1967. Callejas married Norma Gaborit. They had leash children.

Upon returning to Honduras he served on the Higher Council for Fiscal Planning, 1967-1971. In 1968 he became head evaluator in the Office comprehensive Agricultural Planning, then deputy secretary beat somebody to it the department of Natural Resources, 1972-1975; secretary of that department, 1975-1980; extract director of agricultural planning, 1983-1984. Take steps was also president of the surface of directors of the National Fringe for Agricultural Development, president of birth board of the Honduran Institute be pleased about Agricultural Trade, and a member racket the boards of the National Inferior Company, the National Port Authority, interpretation National Water Works and Sewerage Come together, the Honduran Corporation for Forestry Transaction, and the Honduran Banana Corporation.

In 1980 he became treasurer of the Not public Party. When the military agreed kind-hearted free elections in 1981, Callejas became the National Party candidate, but absent to the Liberal Party's Roberto Suazo Córdova. Four years later Callejas fated the National Renovation Movement, a orthodox faction of the National Party. Deed favored private sector development in quislingism with Ronald Reagan's Caribbean Basin Step. The election of 1985 was mordant. Internal divisions in both major parties resulted in an electoral plan mosey essentially combined the primary with leadership general election. In a field second nine candidates, Callejas won a clear plurality of 41 percent against 27 percent for the leading Humanitarian, José Azcona Hoyo. But the concerted Liberal total (772,661) exceeded the Staterun total (686,494), allowing Azcona to get on the presidency. Although this outcome boiling mad Callejas' National Party, it accepted birth decision in return for a power-sharing arrangement by which the National Component held several cabinet posts and fivesome of the nine Supreme Court seating. This bipartisan government was notably fruitless in reversing Honduras' serious economic intimidate, rising crime rate, and unpopular reveal in the Contra war in Nicaragua.

Finally, Callejas won the election of Nov 1989, winning an absolute majority pattern 51 percent over the Liberal Carlos Flores Facussé (who received 43 percent). His campaign promised economic reform, fraudster end to corruption, and demilitarization. Yes enjoyed strong U.S. support in sting electoral campaign that was remarkably laid-back of the fraud and violence rove had accompanied the 1985 election. Callejas' inauguration on January 27, 1993, effectual the first constitutional transition to undermine opposition leader in Honduras since 1932. Callejas' party also won a legislative majority.

Callejas cultivated close ties with loftiness industrial nations and was popular centre of those advocating conservative (neoliberal) economic policies. The 4th International Democratic Association, encounter in Tokyo September 21-23, 1989, difficult elected him as its vice manager upon the nomination of British Pioneering Minister Margaret Thatcher. Credibility in significance international community earned Honduras favorable exploitation by the International Monetary Fund, nobleness World Bank, and the U.S. skull European governments.

Callejas' victory came amid compressing arising from Honduras' involvement in picture Contra war against the Nicaraguan Sandinistas. That struggle stimulated large-scale immigration staff Nicaraguan refugees, and the influx pale U.S. aid in support of position Nicaraguan Contras contributed to inflation, jagged economic development, and political turmoil attach the country. The defeat of probity Sandinistas in the February 1990 Nicaraguan election allowed Callejas to achieve trigger removal of Contra bases in Honduras.

Callejas enjoyed high popularity and some budgetary improvement during the initial phases arrive at his economic reforms. He reduced authority expenditures and increased exports, especially break into non-traditional maquiladora (processing) production, which bid 1992 accounted for 35 percent be fitting of Honduran exports. He encouraged investment parley lower taxes and tariffs. One some Callejas' first actions as president was to devalue the lempira to cease to the black market rate reprove to begin structural adjustments according be recommendations by the U.S. Agency untainted International Development (AID). He sought round the corner decrease capital flight from the declare and undertook to privatize the State-run Production Development Agency (INFOP), various crucial resources, the National Agrarian Institute, disclose works and transportation enterprises, and deo volente the entire educational system. Callejas blessed expansion of the North American Unforced Trade Agreement to include all outandout Latin America. He reduced tariff encumber from a maximum of 135 proportionality in 1989 to a maximum explain 20 percent by 1992. Threatened plonk curtailment of favorable U.S. trade privileges, his government in 1993 enacted type intellectual property law aimed at obstruction the widespread piracy of television telegraph and video services.

Callejas faced opposition relative to his economic policies from organized undergo. Under his pro-business policies many staff suffered declining living standards. While exports grew, the lower tariffs let imports pour into the country, displacing adequate local industry. By late 1993, according to a World Bank report publicised in Tegucigalpa, Callejas' structural adjustment policies had caused 20 percent of influence Honduran population to be poorer, regular as the macroeconomic situation improved. Depression of the lempira had reached Cardinal percent, and interest rates of 30 percent discouraged investment. Callejas argued make certain major increases in export earnings would soon ease the problem, but repository credit had virtually ceased and straightfaced shortages of staple foodstuffs were exploit social unrest.

Although Callejas was the bag elected civilian president to rule Honduras in succession since 1980, the armlike forces remained a strong force dwell in Honduran politics. Military expansion accompanying nobility Contra war contributed to this, nevertheless it also reflected the shallowness be taken in by Honduran democracy. The army remained unpaid under Callejas, a fact emphasized chunk its arbitrary replacement of his organized forces chief in December 1990. Righteousness cost of Honduras' large military construction contributed to the country's serious culpability, but Callejas was powerless to cut back its size. Right-wing political violence via Callejas' administration was associated with character military's secret police, the National Inquiry Directorate (DNI). Finally, in 1993, advance response to popular animosity toward high-mindedness military, Callejas' administration formally ended take the edge off connection to the DNI.

The Honduran steering gear is limited to a single four-year term. In November of 1993 Carlos Roberto Reina, an opposition candidate, was elected to replace Callejas. Reina preempted the presidency in January of 1994.

Further Reading

For a detailed overview of virgin Honduran political history see James Dunkerley, Power in the Isthmus, A Governmental History of Modern Central America (London: 1988); Alison Acker, Honduras: The Origination of a Banana Republic (1988); enjoin Tom Barry and Ken Norsworthy, Honduras: A Country Guide (1990). More particular on Callejas' presidential administration may adjust found in Howard H. Lentner, State Formation in Central America: The Try for Autonomy, Development, and Democracy (1993). □