Oswaldo López Arellano

Who was Oswaldo López Arellano?

Oswaldo Enrique López Arellano was a two-time President of Honduras, first from 1963 to 1971 and again from 1972 to 1975. He gained power both times via military force.

He was born in Danlí in the department of El Paraíso to an influential family, son of Enrique López and Carlota Arellano. He attended the American School of Tegucigalpa where he learned to speak fluent English. He joined the Army at eighteen, graduated as a pilot from the Honduran Air Force School, and spent 1942-1945 in the U.S. state of Arizona studying mechanical aviation. López served as a colonel for a long time and eventually rose to the rank of general. He married Gloria Figueroa and they had five children: Gloria Carolina, Oswaldo, Enrique, Leonel, and José Luis.

López served briefly on a military junta during 1957, which resigned after elections were held. He served as president for the first time from 3 October 1963 until 7 June 1971, taking office when he seized power in the 1963 Honduran coup d'état, 10 days before presidential elections were due. He then allowed further elections to take place in April 1971 that saw Ramón Ernesto Cruz come to power. On 4 December 1972, López again seized power, in the 1972 Honduran coup d'état.