Tegucigalpa: History

Pre-20th-Century History

The discovery of gold and silver in Tegucigalpa in 1578 drew Spanish settlers to the area. Derived from the name of the original indigenous village here, Tegucigalpa is most commonly translated as 'silver hill'. The problem with that story, of course, is that the original residents did not mine silver and probably didn't even have a word for the material before Spanish colonizers appeared on the scene.

Honduras declared independence from Spain in 1821 and shortly thereafter joined the Mexican Empire. Conflict between liberals and conservatives proved too divisive for the nascent union, however, which in 1838 allowed its members to form independent states - Honduras did so on November 15 of that year. Tegucigalpa became the capital of Honduras in 1880, when the government seat was moved from Comayagüela.

Modern History

In 1938 Comayagüela - the political and religious center of Honduras for over three centuries and across the river from the new capital - became a neighborhood of Tegucigalpa.

In the later part of the 20th century the capital was the site of demonstrations against a US-sponsored covert war against the Nicaraguan Sandinista government, which became known as the Contra War. Public alarm and local opposition to US militarization of the area grew, creating problems for the Honduran government. In March 1984, armed forces chief General Álvarez was toppled in a bloodless coup by his fellow officers. In 1988 around 12,000 Contras were operating from Honduras. Public anger increased, drawing 60,000 anti-US demonstrators in Tegucigalpa. The Contra war ended in 1990.

In 1998 the city was damaged by Hurricane Mitch - the most powerful Atlantic hurricane recorded prior to Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Comayagüela received most of the force with some sections of the old capital entirely destroyed.

Recent History

Covered in the press in obsessive detail, Tegucigalpa has been the site of unresolved mara (gang) violence. The prevailing preoccupation of many Hondurans, rival gangs have spread from El Salvador where gang members deported from the US had taken root; 20,000 criminals were deported to Central America between 2000 and 2004.

It may not be Shangri-la, but Tegucigalpa can be a rewarding and invigorating place to visit. The focus of the city is the domed 18th-century cathedral, which has a baroque interior full of fine art. Parque Central, in front of the cathedral, is the hub of the city. There's plenty of interesting architecture including the old university, Antiguo Paraninfo Universitario, now an art museum; the modern Palacio Legislativo, which is built on stilts; the Casa Presidencial; and the 16th-century Iglesia de San Francisco, the first church built in Tegucigalpa.

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