Purificación Zelaya (1866–1940) was a Honduran military officer, landlord and politician, hailing from

Olanchito Olanchito is a municipality in the department of Yoro, Honduras, and a town with a population of 49,750 as of 2023. The municipality was founded in 1530 and comprises 70 villages, approximately 300 hamlets, and a population of 124,286. It is lo ...

.Davis, Darién J.
Beyond Slavery: The Multilayered Legacy of Africans in Latin America and the Caribbean
'. Lanham d. Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. pp. 84, 95–96 During his youth years, Zelaya studied at the Military School of

Tegucigalpa Tegucigalpa ( )—formally Tegucigalpa, Municipality of the Central District ( or ''Tegucigalpa, M.D.C.''), and colloquially referred to as ''Tegus'' or ''Teguz''—is the capital and largest city of Honduras along with its sister city, Comaya ...

. In the

Honduran Army The Honduran Army is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of Honduras, as established by the Constitution of Honduras, 1982 Constitution. Its recruits are all volunteers. History The Honduran Army has its roots in the post-independen ...

he rose to the rank of general. A powerful man in Olanchito and the

Yoro Yoro, with a population of 101,849 (2022 calculation), is the capital city of the Yoro Department of Honduras and the municipal seat of Yoro Municipality. It is notable for a local event known as Lluvia de Peces, where it is claimed that strong ...

Department, Zelaya also served governor and Member of Parliament.Posas, Mario.
Breve historia de la ciudad de Olanchito
'. lanchito, Honduras Alcaldía Municipal de Olanchito, 1994. p. 45-46 During his tenure as mayor of Olanchito (1902), Zelaya sought to establish educational institutions in his hometown. Buildings for the local boys' and girls' were constructed. He also supported the effort to set up a secondary school in the town, named '' Estrella del Norte''. In 1912 Zelaya brought a printing press to Olanchito, to set up ''El Esfuerzo'' printing company.

References

1866 births 1940 deaths Deputies of the National Congress of Honduras Honduran military personnel Mayors of places in Honduras 19th-century generals Honduran landlords 20th-century landowners {{Honduras-mayor-stub