He died in Amapala on 10 March, suffering from diabetes, after a failed attempt to escape to the United States for insulin treatment.

In 1870 he married Anita Lagos Laínez, from an influential family in Choluteca, with significant mining interests.

Among the posts that he held were Director of the National Mint, Mayor of Tegucigalpa, customs administrator of Puerto Cortés, Minister of War (twice) and Vice-President of Honduras.

[2] In 1886 Lopez-Gutiérrez joined the Honduran military, and by 1908 had risen to its highest rank, that of a division General.

Lopez-Gutiérrez and others took up arms contesting that election which resulted in the First Honduran Civil War.