Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero

Rafael Callejas is married to Norma Gaborit and the couple has three children.

Rafael Callejas was born on November 14, 1943, in Tegucigalpa, in a family of landowners.

He received his elementary education from the American School in Tegucigalpa, and later completed his high school from the San Francisco Institute.

In 1965, he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree and later earned a M.S. degree in agricultural economics, both from the Mississippi State University, United States.

In 1967, he attended the Social Studies Institute in The Hague, Holland, where he studied agricultural development.

In 1967, Rafael Callejas was appointed on the Higher Council for Economic Planning, where he worked until 1971. In 1968, he was made the head evaluator in the Office of Agricultural Planning.

From 1972 to 1975, he served as the deputy secretary in the department of Natural Resources.

Between 1975 and 1980, he was appointed as the secretary of that department and later served as the director of agricultural planning during 1983-1984.

In 1980, he became a treasurer of the National Party of Honduras (NPH). The following year, when the military agreed to democratic elections, he was selected as the party’s presidential candidate, but lost to Roberto Suazo Córdova of Liberal Party (PLH).

Later, he became the head of the National Renovation Movement, a conservative faction of the National Party to advance his candidature in the 1985 presidential elections.

His government made significant contribution to the social arena, such as the establishment of the ‘Family Assistance Program (PRAF)’ and the ‘Honduran Fund for Social Investment (FHIS)’.

He followed liberal economic policies and tried to attract local and foreign investment. Under his tenure, steady economic growth was maintained, poverty was reduced and large investments were undertaken to improve the infrastructure.