Juan Alberto Melgar Castro

Who was Juan Alberto Melgar Castro?

Juan Alberto Melgar Castro was a general of the Honduran military who served as the head of state of Honduras from April 22, 1975 to August 7, 1979, when he was removed from power by others in the military.

General Melgar Castro took power in the 1975 Honduran coup d'état which removed Oswaldo López Arellano after his bribery scandal with United Fruit Company.

During his rule, the process of land reform slowed because of pressure from land-owning sectors and influential politicians.

His wife Nora Gúnera de Melgar was Mayor of Tegucigalpa. She was the nominee of the National Party for President of Honduras in 1997, but lost to the Liberal Party nominee, Carlos Roberto Flores.

General Melgar Castro died of a heart attack near San Pedro Sula on 2 December 1987.