Ricardo Maduro

Ricardo Maduro
Born	Ricardo Rodolfo Maduro Joest (1946-04-20) April 20, 1946 Panama
Occupation(s)	Economist, politician
Known for	34th President of Honduras (2002–2006)

Ricardo Rodolfo Maduro Joest (born 20 April 1946 in Panama) is an economist and political figure from Honduras who held the office of the 34th President of Honduras from 27 January 2002 until 27 January 2006. Affiliated with the National Party, Maduro formerly served as the head of the Central Bank of Honduras. He completed his education at The Lawrenceville School and Stanford University. Maduro is a member of the Levy-Maduro family, which has ancestral ties to Portugal, the Netherlands, and the Netherlands Antilles.

Life and career

Of Jewish heritage, Maduro’s first marriage to Miriam Andréu resulted in four children: three daughters and one son, Ricardo Ernesto, whose kidnapping and murder in 1997 profoundly influenced Maduro’s decision to pursue the presidency. This personal tragedy increased his public support and enabled him to contend for office despite constitutional restrictions on candidates not born in Honduras.

President of Honduras (2002–2006)

Although his candidacy initially faced legal challenges due to the constitutional prohibition against non-native-born individuals running for president, Maduro was ultimately permitted to stand as the National Party’s nominee in the 2001 elections. His platform prioritized reducing crime and dismantling the influence of the Mara Salvatrucha gang. Once inaugurated, he authorized joint military and police operations in urban centers. The National Congress, dominated by his party, enacted legislation criminalizing unlawful associations, leading to the incarceration of numerous gang members.

In October 2002, Maduro wed Spaniard Aguas Santas Ocaña Navarro, whom he met at the Spanish Embassy in Honduras. Their marriage ended soon after his term concluded; she relocated to Nicaragua to manage a nonprofit organization focused on children’s welfare. Maduro continued residing in Tegucigalpa. His eldest son, Ricardo Roberto, holds U.S. citizenship and lives there with his own family.

On 1 May 2005, Maduro was involved in an aviation accident near Tela but escaped with minor injuries and was subsequently treated at a hospital in Comayagua.

Maduro supervised the general elections held on 27 November 2005, which resulted in his party losing the presidency to the Liberal Party of Honduras candidate Manuel Zelaya, who assumed office on 27 January 2006.

Presently, Maduro heads Inversiones la Paz based in Tegucigalpa and serves as director of the Fundacion para la Educacion Ricardo Ernesto Maduro Andreu (FEREMA), an educational foundation that supports early childhood programs for underprivileged children, reflecting his conviction that foundational education is critical for academic achievement.

Honors

• Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon (Republic of China)

See also

• History of Honduras
• Politics of Honduras

External links

• Biography by CIDOB (in Spanish)
• Biography at the Permanent Mission of the United Nations website