Juan Alberto Melgar Castro (June 26, 1930, Marcala - December 2, 1987) was a general of the Honduran military who served as the head of state of Honduras from April 22, 1975 to August 7, 1978, when he was removed from power by others in the military. General Melgar Castro took power in the 1975 Honduran coup d'état which removed Oswaldo López Arellano after his bribery scandal with United Fruit Company. During his rule, the process of land reform slowed because of pressure from land-owning sectors and influential politicians.