Presidents of Central America

Manuel Zelaya (1952-) is a Honduran businessman and politician. A leftist, he has cultivated close ties with like-minded politicians such as Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. He was elected to serve the a term of office from 2006-2010, but was ousted in June of 2009 in a coup that resulted from his attempt to change the constitution to allow him to run for re-election.

The tiny nations that make up the narrow strip of land known as Central America have been ruled by statesmen, madmen, generals, politicians and even a North American from Tennessee. How much do you know about these fascinating historical figures?

In the years from 1821 to 1824, present-day Guatemala was ruled first by Spain, then by Mexico, and finally was part of the Republic of Central America. The chaos continued and civil wars broke out all over the region. Guatemala suffered until 1838 when Rafael Carrera set himself up as dictator, ushering in an era that was repressive yet stable.

José Santos Zelaya was president of Nicaragua from 1893 to 1909. He left behind a very mixed legacy: although the country prospered, he was a harsh dictator and his enemies enjoyed little in the way of rights.

Anastasio Somoza García seized power in Nicaragua in 1936, beginning a dynasty of rule that would pass through his two sons and last until 1979. The dictatorship years were marked by corruption and repression, but the Somozas had the support of the United States government because they were fiercely anti-communist.

William Walker was the greatest of the American "filibusters:" men who attacked sovereign nations as a private enterprise, generally with the eventual aim of joining them to the United States. His greatest triumph happened in 1855-1857, when he took control of Nicaragua and named himself president.