Juan Lindo - As President of Honduras

As President of Honduras

In 1842 he returned to Honduras and established himself at Comayagua. After General Francisco Ferrera declined to serve as president, the Honduran assembly elected Lindo constitutional president, a position he exercised from 12 February 1847 to 4 February 1848. During his term he established the University of Honduras (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras) and promulgated a new constitution. In accordance with the new constitution, he was elected for a second term, which ended on 1 February 1852.

In his second administration in Honduras, General José Santos Guardiola, appointed by Lindo, revolted in Tegucigalpa against the National Assembly, with the intent of taking prisoner General Ferrera and Don Coronado Chávez, who were intriguing against Lindo. Felipe Bustillo, who had taken over government functions from Lindo, fled to Copán, and Lindo resumed the presidency. Ferrera and Chávez fled to El Salvador. Guardiola later revolted against Lindo, but was defeated and went into voluntary exile.

Lindo signed an alliance with Salvadoran president Doroteo Vasconcelos to declare war on the government of Guatemala, headed by Rafael Carrera. Allied troops invaded Guatemalan territory, but were defeated by Carrera in the Battle of La Arada on 2 February 1851.

At the end of Lindo's second term General José Trinidad Cabañas entered the presidency. Lindo retired from politics and established himself in the city of Gracias, department of Lempira, where he died in 1857.