José Santos Guardiola
Encyclopedia
General
José Santos Guardiola Bustillo (1 November 1816 in Tegucigalpa
, Honduras
. – 11 January 1862 in Comayagua
, Honduras) was President of Honduras
from 17 February 1856 to 11 January 1862, when he became the only President of Honduras to be assassinated while in office in a crime committed by his personal guard.
His parents were Esteban Guardiola and Bibiana Bustillo. He married Ana de Arzibu and their daughter, Genoveva Guardiola Arbizu, married the first President of the Republic of Cuba
, Tomas Estrada Palma. He was installed by Guatemala
n President Rafael Carrera
after the Guatemalan army invaded Honduras and overthrew Trinidad Cabanas. His administration was one of most liberal in Honduran history, in spite of him belonging to the Conservative Party. His government granted freedom of press, suffrage and movement; it respected and it guaranteed the individual freedom and it regularized the relations between the church and the State. The Vicar of Comayagua, Miguel del Cid, enemy of General Guardiola, excommunicated him, but Pope Pius IX
overturned it and named Juan de Jesus Zepeda Zepeda as Bishop of Honduras. He opposed Francisco Morazán
in the conflict over whether to have a Central American
state
. His good relations with the British helped facilitate the incorporation of the Bay Islands and the La Mosquitia
region into Honduras. He struck a deal to trade Belize (British Honduras) for the aforementioned territories. He fought against William Walker, who aspired to conquering Central America.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
José Santos Guardiola Bustillo (1 November 1816 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...
, 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...
. – 11 January 1862 in Comayagua
Comayagua
Comayagua is a city in Honduras, some 80 km northwest of Tegucigalpa on the highway to San Pedro Sula at an elevation of 594 meters above sea level. In 2003 the estimated population was 60,000 people. It is the capital of the Comayagua department of Honduras. The city is noted for its wealth...
, Honduras) was President of Honduras
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 17 February 1856 to 11 January 1862, when he became the only President of Honduras to be assassinated while in office in a crime committed by his personal guard.
His parents were Esteban Guardiola and Bibiana Bustillo. He married Ana de Arzibu and their daughter, Genoveva Guardiola Arbizu, married the first President of the Republic of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Tomas Estrada Palma. He was installed by Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n President Rafael Carrera
Rafael Carrera
José Rafael Carrera Turcios was the ruler of Guatemala from 1844 to 1848 and from 1851 until his death in 1865. During his military career and presidency, the new nations in Central America faced numerous problems...
after the Guatemalan army invaded Honduras and overthrew Trinidad Cabanas. His administration was one of most liberal in Honduran history, in spite of him belonging to the Conservative Party. His government granted freedom of press, suffrage and movement; it respected and it guaranteed the individual freedom and it regularized the relations between the church and the State. The Vicar of Comayagua, Miguel del Cid, enemy of General Guardiola, excommunicated him, but Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
overturned it and named Juan de Jesus Zepeda Zepeda as Bishop of Honduras. He opposed Francisco Morazán
Francisco Morazán
General Francisco Morazán was a Honduran general and a politician who ruled several Central American states at different times during the turbulent period from 1827 to 1842. He rose to prominence at the legendary Battle of La Trinidad on November 11, 1827...
in the conflict over whether to have a Central American
History of Central America
The history of Central America is the study of the past of the region known as Central America.- Before European contact :In pre-Columbian times, most of modern Central America was part of the Mesoamerican civilization. The Native American societies of Mesoamerica occupied the land ranging from...
state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
. His good relations with the British helped facilitate the incorporation of the Bay Islands and the La Mosquitia
La Mosquitia
La Mosquitia refers to the northeastern part of Honduras along the Mosquito Coast. It is an underdeveloped region of tropical rainforest accessible primarily by water and air. Its population include indigenous groups such as the Miskito, the Pech, Rama, Sumo, and Tawakha. The Río Plátano Biosphere...
region into Honduras. He struck a deal to trade Belize (British Honduras) for the aforementioned territories. He fought against William Walker, who aspired to conquering Central America.