List of Presidents of Costa Rica
President of Costa Rica | |
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Residence | Casa Presidencial, Costa Rica |
Term length | Four years, not eligible for re-election immediately |
Inaugural holder | José Castro Madriz |
Formation | 8 May 1847 |
Website | President of Costa Rica |
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Costa Rica |
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The President of Costa Rica is the head of state and government of Costa Rica. The President is currently elected in direct elections for a period of four years, which is not immediately renewable. Two Vice Presidents are elected in the same ticket with the President. The President appoints the Council of Ministers.[1] Due to the abolition of the military of Costa Rica in 1948, the president is not a Commander-in-chief, unlike the norm in most other countries.
From 1969 to 2005, the president was barred from seeking reelection. However, in 2005, after the amendment banning reelection was thrown out by the Supreme Court, an incumbent president became eligible to run again after waiting for at least four years after leaving office.
The following table contains a list of the junta chairmen, presidents and heads of state of Costa Rica since Central American independence from Spain. From 1824 to 1838 Costa Rica was a state within the United States of Central America; since then it has been an independent nation.
Heads of State of Costa Rica (1825-1848)
Name | Term | Party | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Juan Mora Fernández | 1825–1833 | Liberal | Two successive periods; re-elected in 1829. |
José Rafael Gallegos | 1833–1835 | Conservative | Resigned, Manuel Fernández Chacón and Nicolás Ulloa Soto followed as acting Heads of State. |
Braulio Carrillo Colina | 1835–1837 | Liberal | First term. |
Juan Mora Fernández | March–April 1837 | Liberal | Provisional |
Manuel Aguilar Chacón | 1837–1838 | Liberal | Deposed in a coup. |
Braulio Carrillo Colina | 1838–1842 | Liberal | Second term, deposed in a coup. |
Francisco Morazán | April–September 1842 | Liberal | Deposed by popular uprising; executed 15 September 1842. |
António Pinto Soares | September 1842 | Liberal | Came to power in popular uprising, and quickly resigned. |
José María Alfaro Zamora | 1842–1844 | Liberal | First term. Provisional. |
Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla | November–December 1844 | Liberal | Deposed in a coup. |
José Rafael Gallegos | 1845–1846 | Conservative | |
José María Alfaro Zamora | 1846–1847 | Liberal | Second term. |
José Castro Madriz | 1847–1848 | Liberal |
Presidents of Costa Rica (1848–present)
President | Took office | Left office | Party | Notes | |
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José María Castro Madriz | 8 May 1847 | 16 November 1849 | Liberal | "Founder of the Republic". | |
Miguel Mora Porras (interim president) |
16 November 1849 | 26 November 1849 | Liberal | ||
Juan Mora Porras (first, second and third term) |
26 November 1849 | 14 August 1859 | Liberal | ||
José María Montealegre Fernández | 14 August 1859 | 8 May 1863 | Liberal | Provisional 1859-1860. | |
Jesús Jiménez Zamora | 8 May 1863 | 8 May 1866 | Liberal | ||
José Castro Madriz (second term) |
8 May 1866 | 1 November 1868 | Liberal | Deposed in a coup d'état. | |
Jesús Jiménez Zamora (second term) |
1 November 1868 | 27 April 1870 | Military | ||
Bruno Carranza Ramírez | 27 April 1870 | 8 August 1870 | Liberal | Deposed in a coup d'état. | |
Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez | 10 August 1870 | 8 May 1876 | Liberal | Provisional 1870-1872. | |
Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz | 8 May 1876 | 30 July 1876 | Liberal | Deposed in a coup d'état. | |
Vicente Herrera Zeledón | 30 July 1876 | 11 September 1877 | Conservative | ||
Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez (second term) |
11 September 1877 | 6 July 1882 | Liberal | Died in office. | |
Saturnino Lizano Gutiérrez | 6 July 1882 | 20 July 1882 | Liberal | Acting president. | |
Próspero Fernández Oreamuno | 20 July 1882 | 12 March 1885 | Liberal | Died in office. | |
Bernardo Soto Alfaro (two consecutive terms, the first incomplete) |
12 March 1885 | 8 May 1890 | Liberal | Carlos Durán Cartín was acting president 1889-1890. | |
José Rodríguez Zeledón | 8 May 1890 | 8 May 1894 | Constitutional Party | ||
Rafael Yglesias Castro (first and second term) |
8 May 1894 | 8 May 1902 | Civil Party | ||
Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra | 8 May 1902 | 8 May 1906 | Civil Party | ||
Cleto González Víquez (first term) |
8 May 1906 | 8 May 1910 | National Union Party | ||
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (first term) |
8 May 1910 | 8 May 1914 | National Republican Party | Son of Jesús Jiménez Zamora | |
Alfredo González Flores | 8 May 1914 | 27 January 1917 | National Republican Party | Deposed by Tinoco in a coup. | |
Federico Tinoco Granados (first and second term) |
27 January 1917 | 13 August 1919 | Military/Partido Tinoquista | Overthrown by popular uprising. | |
Juan Quirós Segura (previously Vice President) |
13 August 1919 | 2 September 1919 | Military/Partido Tinoquista | Forced to resign by the U.S. government. | |
Francisco Aguilar Barquero (interim president) |
2 September 1919 | 8 May 1920 | National Union Party | ||
Julio Acosta García | 8 May 1920 | 8 May 1924 | Constitutional Party | ||
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (second term) |
8 May 1924 | 8 May 1928 | National Republican Party | ||
Cleto González Víquez (second term) |
8 May 1928 | 8 May 1932 | National Union Party | ||
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (third term) |
8 May 1932 | 8 May 1936 | National Republican Party | ||
León Cortés Castro | 8 May 1936 | 8 May 1940 | National Republican Party | ||
Rafael Calderón Guardia | 8 May 1940 | 8 May 1944 | National Republican Party | ||
Teodoro Picado Michalski | 8 May 1944 | 8 May 1948 | National Republican Party | ||
Santos León Herrera (interim president) |
20 April 1948 | 8 May 1948 | National Republican Party | Former vice-president of Teodoro Picado Michalski. | |
José Figueres Ferrer | 8 May 1948 | 8 November 1949 | National Liberation Party | Came to power in civil war. Returned power to elected president after re-organizing the government. | |
Otilio Ulate Blanco | 7 November 1949 | 8 May 1953 | National Union Party | ||
José Figueres Ferrer (second term) |
8 May 1953 | 8 May 1958 | National Liberation Party | Presidential re-election disallowed. | |
Mario Echandi Jiménez | 8 May 1958 | 8 May 1962 | National Unification Party | ||
Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich | 8 May 1962 | 8 May 1966 | National Liberation Party | ||
José Trejos Fernández | 8 May 1966 | 8 May 1970 | National Unification Party | ||
José Figueres Ferrer (third term) |
8 May 1970 | 8 May 1974 | National Liberation Party | Presidential re-election disallowed. | |
Daniel Oduber Quirós | 8 May 1974 | 8 May 1978 | National Liberation Party | ||
Rodrigo Carazo Odio | 8 May 1978 | 8 May 1982 | Unity Party | ||
Luis Monge Álvarez | 8 May 1982 | 8 May 1986 | National Liberation Party | ||
Óscar Arias | 8 May 1986 | 8 May 1990 | National Liberation Party | Nobel Peace Prize winner 1987. | |
Rafael Calderón Fournier | 8 May 1990 | 8 May 1994 | Social Christian Unity Party | Son of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia. | |
José Figueres Olsen | 8 May 1994 | 8 May 1998 | National Liberation Party | Son of José Figueres Ferrer. | |
Miguel Rodríguez Echeverría | 8 May 1998 | 8 May 2002 | Social Christian Unity Party | ||
Abel Pacheco de la Espriella | 8 May 2002 | 8 May 2006 | Social Christian Unity Party | Presidential re-election re-instated. | |
Óscar Arias (second term) |
8 May 2006 | 8 May 2010 | National Liberation Party | ||
Laura Chinchilla | 8 May 2010 | 8 May 2014 | National Liberation Party | First female president of Costa Rica.[2] | |
Luis Guillermo Solís | 8 May 2014 | Incumbent | Citizens' Action Party |
Latest election
Candidate | Party | First round | Second round | ||
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Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
Luis Guillermo Solís | Citizens' Action Party | 629,866 | 30.64 | 1,314,327 | 77.81 |
Johnny Araya Monge | National Liberation Party | 610,634 | 29.71 | 374,844 | 22.19 |
José María Villalta Florez-Estrada | Broad Front | 354,479 | 17.25 | ||
Otto Guevara | Libertarian Movement | 233,064 | 11.34 | ||
Rodolfo Piza | Social Christian Unity Party | 123,653 | 6.02 | ||
José Miguel Corrales Bolaños | New Fatherland Party | 30,816 | 1.50 | ||
Carlos Avendaño | National Restoration Party | 27,691 | 1.35 | ||
Justo Orozco | Costa Rican Renovation Party | 16,721 | 0.81 | ||
Óscar López | Accessibility without Exclusion | 10,339 | 0.50 | ||
Sergio Mena | New Generation Party | 5,882 | 0.29 | ||
Héctor Monestel | Workers' Party | 4,897 | 0.24 | ||
Walter Muñoz | National Advance Party | 4,388 | 0.21 | ||
José Echandi | National Integration Party | 3,042 | 0.15 | ||
Votes cast | 2,099,219 | – | 1,712,679 | – | |
Blank and null votes | 43,747 | – | 23,508 | 1.37 | |
Valid votes | 2,055,472 | 100 | 1,689,171 | 100 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 3,065,667 | 68.19 | 56.63 |
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.guiascostarica.com/cr1.htm Executive Branch
- ↑ "Costa Rica's new president: After Arias: Tax increases, trade deals and antidisestablishmentarianism.". The Economist. 6 May 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
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