President Ramón Villeda Morales meeting with John F. Kennedy in 1962
Trained as a physician, his specialty was pediatrics. Villeda Morales was a liberal who supported the democratization of Honduras after a long period of military rule. He was the Liberal Party candidate in the 1954 presidential election, the first free election for over two decades, winning a plurality over a divided National Party but falling short of a majority. The deadlock led to a coup by Vice-President Julio Lozano Díaz. Following the military junta of 1955, he was in 1957 chosen by the country's constituent assembly to serve as president and oversee the transition to democracy.[2] Villeda Morales immediately embarked on a campaign which he believed would help the poorer elements of society, introducing welfare benefits and enacting a new labor code that favored the country's large working class population (working on the theory that regulations, rather than the market, can improve, rather than undermine, long-term conditions of work). While these steps were popular with the masses, they enraged the traditional holders of power in Honduras: the military and the upper classes. When it seemed likely that the Liberal Party candidate, Modesto Rodas Alvarado, would win the 1963 election with an even stronger mandate to enact social reforms, the military responded with a coup, just ten days before the election was scheduled to take place.
Ramón Villeda Morales and his wife, Alejandrina, had six sons: twins Ramon and Ruben, Alejandro, Mauricio, Leonardo, and Juan Carlos.
Ramon Villeda Morales died on November 26, 1971, in New York City, where he was serving as the Honduran Ambassador to the UN. His widow, former First Lady of Honduras Alejandrina Bermúdez Milla [es], died in November 2012, aged 95.
Legacyedit
Villeda Morales helped modernize Honduras, and to create its public health, public education, and social security systems. He was a key supporter of the Alliance for Progress.
ramón, villeda, morales, municipality, municipality, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspaper. For the municipality see Ramon Villeda Morales municipality This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Ramon Villeda Morales news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Villeda and the second or maternal family name is Morales Jose Ramon Adolfo el Pajarito Villeda Morales November 26 1909 October 8 1971 served as President of Honduras from 1957 to 1963 Ramon Villeda MoralesRamon Villeda Morales in 1962President of HondurasIn office December 21 1957 October 3 1963Vice PresidentJose Mejia ArellanoPreceded byJulio Lozano Diaz de jure Military Government Council de facto Succeeded byOswaldo Lopez ArellanoPersonal detailsBornJose Ramon Adolfo Villeda Morales 1909 11 26 November 26 1909Ocotepeque HondurasDiedOctober 8 1971 1971 10 08 aged 61 New York City New York United StatesCause of deathHeart attack 1 Political partyLiberal PartySpouseAlejandrina Bermudez Milla 1917 2012 Professionpolitician physician Contents 1 Biography 2 Legacy 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksBiography edit nbsp President Ramon Villeda Morales meeting with John F Kennedy in 1962Trained as a physician his specialty was pediatrics Villeda Morales was a liberal who supported the democratization of Honduras after a long period of military rule He was the Liberal Party candidate in the 1954 presidential election the first free election for over two decades winning a plurality over a divided National Party but falling short of a majority The deadlock led to a coup by Vice President Julio Lozano Diaz Following the military junta of 1955 he was in 1957 chosen by the country s constituent assembly to serve as president and oversee the transition to democracy 2 Villeda Morales immediately embarked on a campaign which he believed would help the poorer elements of society introducing welfare benefits and enacting a new labor code that favored the country s large working class population working on the theory that regulations rather than the market can improve rather than undermine long term conditions of work While these steps were popular with the masses they enraged the traditional holders of power in Honduras the military and the upper classes When it seemed likely that the Liberal Party candidate Modesto Rodas Alvarado would win the 1963 election with an even stronger mandate to enact social reforms the military responded with a coup just ten days before the election was scheduled to take place Ramon Villeda Morales and his wife Alejandrina had six sons twins Ramon and Ruben Alejandro Mauricio Leonardo and Juan Carlos Ramon Villeda Morales died on November 26 1971 in New York City where he was serving as the Honduran Ambassador to the UN His widow former First Lady of Honduras Alejandrina Bermudez Milla es died in November 2012 aged 95 Legacy editVilleda Morales helped modernize Honduras and to create its public health public education and social security systems He was a key supporter of the Alliance for Progress San Pedro Sula International Airport is named after him His son Mauricio Villeda Bermudez is a leader of the Liberal Party and was a candidate for the presidency in the 2013 elections See also editHistory of Honduras nbsp Honduras portalReferences edit Dr Ramon Villeda Morales Dies Former President of Honduras The New York Times October 9 1971 Presidentes del Congreso Nacional 1900 2014 August 11 2015 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ramon Villeda Morales Political officesPreceded byHonduran military junta of 1956 1957 President of Honduras1957 1963 Succeeded byOswaldo Lopez Arellano nbsp This article about a Honduran politician is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ramon Villeda Morales amp oldid 1212491269, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
