Rebeca Ráquel
Rebeca Ráquel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of the Supreme Court of Honduras | |
| In office 16 February 2023 – 25 March 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Rolando Argueta |
| Succeeded by | Wagner Vallecillo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 April 1954 Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| Party | Partido Libre |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | National Autonomous University of Honduras |
Rebeca Lizette Ráquel Obando (born 11 April 1954) is a Honduran lawyer, public notary and judge. She serves as president of the Supreme Court of Honduras between 2023 and 2026.
Career
Ráquel was born on 11 April 1954 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.[1] She earned a degree in legal and social sciences from National Autonomous University of Honduras in 2000.[1][2][3]
She served as a judge from 2001 to 2006, when she became executive director of the Educational Credit Institute (Educrédito), a position she held until 2009.[1][2][3] As a judge, Ráquel specialised in domestic violence.[3] Since 2013, she has practiced law and was licensed to practice as a notary in May 2015.[1][3] Ráquel is member of the Partido Libre and is a distant relative of then president Xiomara Castro.[2] She has also been linked to the Jericó Mining Company, which was under investigation for ties to drug trafficking.[2]
On 17 February 2023 the Congress of Honduras elected the 15 new judges of the Supreme Court of Honduras and Ráquel as its new president after the nomination by the Supreme Court's Honduras Nominating Committee and Partido Libre.[1][3] She was elected for the term 2023-2030 and was the second woman to hold the office after Vilma Cecilia Morales.[2][3] On 25 March 2026 she announced her resignation following the National Congress’s approval of a reform that transferred powers previously held exclusively by the President of the Supreme Court to the full bench of the Court, thus avoiding a possible impeachment.[4][5]
Personal life
Ráquel is married to a notary and lawyer, which whom have 4 children.[2][3] She also speaks English.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Rebeca Lizette Ráquel Obando, presidenta de la nueva CSJ" [Rebeca Lizette Ráquel Obando, president of the new Supreme Court of Justice]. RadioAmerica.hn (in Spanish). 17 February 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sarmiento, Yeni (16 February 2023). "¿Quién es Rebeca Ráquel Obando, elegida como presidenta de la Corte Suprema de Justicia?" [Who is Rebeca Ráquel Obando, who was elected president of the Supreme Court of Justice?]. El Heraldo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rodríguez, Roxana (17 February 2023). "Rebeca Ráquel Obando, nueva presidenta de la Corte Suprema de Justicia" [Rebeca Ráquel Obando, the new President of the Supreme Court of Justice]. La Prensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Presidenta del Supremo de Honduras renuncia para evitar un juicio político del Parlamento" [The President of the Honduran Supreme Court resigns to avoid impeachment by Parliament]. EFE. 26 March 2026. p. es. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ Rivera, Marcella (26 March 2026). "Rebeca Ráquel Obando renuncia a la presidencia de la Corte Suprema de Justicia de Honduras" [Rebeca Ráquel Obando resigns as President of the Supreme Court of Justice of Honduras]. Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2026.