Roberto Suazo Córdova

Roberto Suazo Córdova was born in the city of La Paz, Honduras on March 17, 1927. In 1949, he graduated as a doctor from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. After his graduation, Suazo practiced his profession in the general hospital of the Guatemalan capital. In the year of 1953 Suazo returned to his hometown, where he practiced medicine for 25 years.

During his stay in La Paz, Doctor Suazo entered political life as a Liberal.

Suazo represented La Paz in the Honduran Congress as a Liberal and eventually became the most important figure in the party in 1979. At that time Suazo replaced the all time great leader of the Liberal Party Modesto Rodas as general coordinator of the party.

In 1980 the military rulers headed by General Policarpo Paz, decided to restore the civil power in Honduras, under a new constitution. Roberto Suazo was elected president of the subsequent constitutional convention.

Due to his popularity among the Liberals, Suazo came be their presidential candidate for the elections of 1981. In November of that same year, Suazo became the first constitutional president of Honduras after ten years of military rule.

In the elections for president, Doctor Suazo defeated his rival Ricardo Zúñiga of the National Party of Honduras convincingly, with 53% of the popular vote.

Presidency

Roberto Suazo won the elections with a promise to carry out an ambitious program of economic and social development in Honduras in order to tackle the country's recession.

Suazo was counting on U.S. financial aid to implement his plan. Honduras was very important for the interests of the Americans in the region at that time, in particular due to the resilience of Fidel Castro in Cuba and the toppling of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle by the Sandinistas.

Although American aid was plentiful and on time, Suazo's government was incapable of rebuilding Honduras's damaged economy.The deficit of the country skyrocketed, as military expenditures increased a great deal.

President Suazo tried desperately to find a solution, and fired most of the members of his cabinet. However this did nothing to arrest the country's economic decline.

At the end of his presidency, Suazo lost the support of all his followers for his failure to carry out his promises.