Liberal Ideology and Urban Modernization: Marco Aurelio Soto Reforms in Tegucigalpa (1876-1883). A Historical Approach

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of liberalism and positivist philosophy on the elites of the 19th and early 20th centuries in Latin America, with an emphasis on Honduras within the Central American context. Key external and internal elements are examined, such as the political support of Justo Rufino Barrios, the legal structure of land tenure, the relocation of the capital after the rise to power of Marco Aurelio Soto and Ramón Rosa, as well as the history of hygiene policies in Honduras and subsequently Tegucigalpa as the seat of government between 1876 and 1883.

This reform process led to the implementation of sanitary infrastructure, such as hospitals, cemeteries, and prisons, as well as the creation of public spaces for recreation, such as plazas and promenades. The influence of hygienists, including architects, doctors, and police officers in the service of the state, was fundamental in this development. In this way, it is possible to understand the relationship between the discourse of progress and urban regulation practices, as well as social exclusion in the construction of the nation-state, the consolidation of liberalism, and integration with the global capitalist market.