José Azcona del Hoyo
Encyclopedia
José Simón Azcona del Hoyo (26 January 1927 – 24 October 2005) was President of Honduras
from 27 January 1986 to 27 January 1990 for the Liberal Party of Honduras
(PLH). He was born in La Ceiba
in Honduras
.
, Spain with his maternal grandparents. He grew up there during the Spanish Civil War
. He returned to Honduras in 1949, working in his family's trading company. He then went to study in the National Autonomous University of Honduras
(UNAH) graduating in civil engineering
, with postgraduate studies from the University of Monterrey in Mexico.
(PNH) candidate Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero
. Because the PLH candidates gained 51.5% of the vote between them, and as Azcona gained the highest of the 4, he gained the presidency with only 27.5% of the vote, even though Callejas gained 42.6% of the vote. This was the first transfer of power from one constitutional, elected president to another since 1948, and the first time it happened democratically since 1932.
Azcona's success as a president has been contested across the political spectrum. While his followers and a large proportion of the population would favour him due to the perceived honesty and integrity of his government, another group would challenge this view, arguing that he pursued a weak economic policy (artificially maintaining a 2:1 exchange rate
between the Honduran lempira
and the US dollar), ran up large budget deficits and did little to develop investment opportunities in the country. Many people still remember the fuel supply problems, mostly in the last part of his government due to foreign credit issues.
During his presidency, the Central American peace process took place, by the time he turned over the presidency to his successor on 27 January 1990 the Contra
rebels in Nicaragua were demobilising. Less known is the relationship between Honduras
and the US Government covert operations to exchange arms for hostages in Iran and fund rebels, later known as Iran ContraAffair.
The scope of involvement in the Iran Contra covert operations for Honduran President Azcona and President Suazo *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Suazo_C%C3%B3rdova is documented in the Declassified Archives and associated briefing books containing original SECRET communications of the Reagan Administration. The collection of documents is located at GWU Archives section titled Iran-Contra Affair. *http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB210/index.htm
business. At the end of the nineties he had a heart attack. On 24 October 2005 at 12.30 a.m. (local time UTC-6) just as he was going to bed in his home in Tegucigalpa
Azcona died suddenly from another heart attack, age 78.
President of Honduras
This page lists the Presidents of Honduras.Colonial Honduras declared its independence from Spain on 15 September 1821. From 5 January 1822 to 1 July 1823, Honduras was part of the First Mexican Empire of Agustín de Iturbide....
from 27 January 1986 to 27 January 1990 for the Liberal Party of Honduras
Liberal Party of Honduras
The Liberal Party of Honduras is a centre-left liberal political party in Honduras that was founded in 1891. The party is a member of the Liberal International...
(PLH). He was born in La Ceiba
La Ceiba
La Ceiba is a port city on the northern coast of Honduras in Central America. It is located on the southern edge of the Caribbean, forming part of the south eastern boundary of the Gulf of Honduras...
in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
.
Career
Azcona spent the years from 1935 to 1949 living in CantabriaCantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
, Spain with his maternal grandparents. He grew up there during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. He returned to Honduras in 1949, working in his family's trading company. He then went to study in the National Autonomous University of Honduras
National Autonomous University of Honduras
The National Autonomous University of Honduras is the national public university of Honduras. It was founded in 1847 and has many campuses throughout the country.-Autonomy:...
(UNAH) graduating in civil engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, with postgraduate studies from the University of Monterrey in Mexico.
President
As the PLH were unable to decide on a single candidate they ended up fielding four candidates, including Azcona, against the one National Party of HondurasNational Party of Honduras
The National Party is a centre-right conservative political party in Honduras and the main right-wing political party in the country. Founded in 1902 the PNH is identified with the color blue as its rival the Liberal Party of Honduras , is red. All the democratic elections in Honduras have been...
(PNH) candidate Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero
Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero
Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero was born on 14 November 1943 in Tegucigalpa in Honduras, and was the President of Honduras from 27 January 1990 to 27 January 1994, representing the National Party of Honduras .-Career:...
. Because the PLH candidates gained 51.5% of the vote between them, and as Azcona gained the highest of the 4, he gained the presidency with only 27.5% of the vote, even though Callejas gained 42.6% of the vote. This was the first transfer of power from one constitutional, elected president to another since 1948, and the first time it happened democratically since 1932.
Azcona's success as a president has been contested across the political spectrum. While his followers and a large proportion of the population would favour him due to the perceived honesty and integrity of his government, another group would challenge this view, arguing that he pursued a weak economic policy (artificially maintaining a 2:1 exchange rate
Exchange rate
In finance, an exchange rate between two currencies is the rate at which one currency will be exchanged for another. It is also regarded as the value of one country’s currency in terms of another currency...
between the Honduran lempira
Honduran lempira
The lempiras is the currency of Honduras. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. The lempira was named after the 16th-century cacique Lempira, a ruler of the indigenous Lenca people, who is renowned in Honduran folklore for leading the local native resistance against the Spanish conquistador forces...
and the US dollar), ran up large budget deficits and did little to develop investment opportunities in the country. Many people still remember the fuel supply problems, mostly in the last part of his government due to foreign credit issues.
During his presidency, the Central American peace process took place, by the time he turned over the presidency to his successor on 27 January 1990 the Contra
Contras
The contras is a label given to the various rebel groups opposing Nicaragua's FSLN Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction government following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle's dictatorship...
rebels in Nicaragua were demobilising. Less known is the relationship between Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
and the US Government covert operations to exchange arms for hostages in Iran and fund rebels, later known as Iran ContraAffair.
The scope of involvement in the Iran Contra covert operations for Honduran President Azcona and President Suazo *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Suazo_C%C3%B3rdova is documented in the Declassified Archives and associated briefing books containing original SECRET communications of the Reagan Administration. The collection of documents is located at GWU Archives section titled Iran-Contra Affair. *http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB210/index.htm
Document 11: Independent Counsel, Court Record, "U.S. Government Stipulation on Quid Pro Quos with Other Governments as Part of Contra Operation," April 6, 1989
The most secret part of the Iran-Contra operations were the quid pro quo arrangements the White House made with countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Saudi Arabia, Israel and other governments who were enlisted to support the Contra war. As part of his defense, Oliver North attempted to "grey mail" the U.S. government by insisting that all top secret documents on the quid pro quos should be declassified for trial. Instead, the government agreed to the "stipulation" - a summary of the evidence in the documents -- presented here.
Post-presidency
After leaving power Azcona concentrated on running his constructionConstruction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
business. At the end of the nineties he had a heart attack. On 24 October 2005 at 12.30 a.m. (local time UTC-6) just as he was going to bed in his home in Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
Azcona died suddenly from another heart attack, age 78.
Trivia
- Azcona's last trip was to Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, FloridaPensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
where he met with his wife's (Miriam Bocock de Azcona) side of the family before he died. - His son Jose Simon Azcona Bocock is currently an elected Congressman.
- His daughter Elizabeth Azcona BocockElizabeth Azcona BocockElizabeth "Lizi" Azcona Bocock, , is the Minister of Industry and Commerce in the cabinet of Honduras president Manuel Zelaya.-Background:...
was Minister of Industry and Commerce for the first half of Mel Zelaya's presidency.