Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno

Romualdo Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno
President of Costa Rica
In office 8 May 1910 – 8 May 1914
Preceded by	Cleto González (first term)
Succeeded by	Alfredo González Flores
In office 8 May 1924 – 8 May 1928
Preceded by	Julio Acosta García
Succeeded by	Cleto González Víquez (second term)
In office 8 May 1932 – 8 May 1936
Preceded by	Cleto González Víquez (second term)
Succeeded by	León Cortés Castro
Personal details
Born	(1859-02-06)February 6, 1859 Cartago, Costa Rica
Died	January 4, 1945(1945-01-04) (aged 85) San José, Costa Rica
Political party	Republican Party

Romualdo Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (February 6, 1859 – January 4, 1945) served as president of Costa Rica on three separate occasions: 1910 to 1914, 1924 to 1928, and 1932 to 1936.

One of the most well known lawyers in Costa Rican history and a University of Santo Tomás graduate. Shortly after assuming power in 1910, the province of Cartago was hit by a powerful earthquake which destroyed most of the city and killed hundreds. One of his main struggles was the rebuilding of the biggest city in the country at the time. After the earthquake, Jiménez outlawed construction with adobe.^[1] Another notable aspect of his first term was the consolidation of the country's external debt with a great part of the debt owed to France being repaid.

During his second term in office, he created the National Insurance Bank, The Bank of Mortgage Credit, the School of Agriculture and founded the Ministry of Health. He also began the electrification of the Pacific railway system and the creation of the Pacific port of Puntarenas. After his second term he stepped away from the political scene for four years.

He again was elected President in 1932. During his last term in office he concentrated on the country's infrastructure and educational system. He built several large buildings for school housing, improved and build new roads throughout the country and constructed an aqueduct system that started in the central valley at Ojo de Agua and flowed into the Pacific Ocean at Puntarenas.^[1] During his administration, the bridge from Filadelfia and Liberia was constructed, as was the Old National Theater.

He died in San José on 4 January 1945.^[1]

His father was two-time president Jesús Jiménez.

References

Presidents and heads of state of Costa Rica Juan Mora Fernández Gallegos Carrillo Joaquín Mora Aguilar Carrillo Morazán Pinto Alfaro Oreamuno Gallegos Alfaro Castro Miguel Mora Juan Mora Porras Montealegre Jiménez Zamora Castro Jiménez Zamora Carranza Guardia Esquivel Sáenz Herrera Guardia Lizano Fernández Soto Rodríguez Zeledón Yglesias Esquivel Ibarra González Víquez Jiménez Oreamuno González Flores Tinoco Quirós Aguilar Acosta Jiménez Oreamuno González Víquez Jiménez Oreamuno Cortés Calderón Guardia Picado Figueres Ferrer Ulate Figueres Ferrer Echandi Orlich Trejos Figueres Ferrer Oduber Carazo Monge Arias Calderón Fournier Figueres Olsen Rodríguez Echeverría Pacheco Arias Chinchilla Solís