Gustavo Álvarez Martínez

Who is Gustavo Álvarez Martínez?

Gustavo Adolfo Álvarez Martínez was a Honduran military officer. He was head of the armed forces of Honduras from January 1982, being ousted on 31 March 1984 by fellow officers when he sought to expand his control over the armed forces. The notorious Honduran army unit Battalion 3-16, reporting directly to Álvarez Martínez, was active during this period, in which Honduras was a base for the Contras opposing the Sandinistas in neighbouring Nicaragua. Álvarez Martínez was awarded the Legion of Merit by the US government in 1983 for "encouraging the success of democratic processes in Honduras." In March 1984 he was ousted by fellow generals accusing him of abuses, and sent into exile. He became a consultant to The Pentagon, and lived in Miami until 1988, before returning to Honduras. Álvarez Martínez was assassinated in Honduras in 1989 by leftwing guerillas.