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List of Presidents of Costa Rica
The following table contains a list of the presidents and heads of state of Costa Rica since Central American independence from Spain and Mexico. From 1823 to 1839 Costa Rica was a state within the United States of Central America; since then it has been an independent nation.See also: Politics of Costa Rica, List of political parties in Costa Rica, History of Costa Rica
Heads of State of Costa Rica Term Party Notes
Juan Mora Fernández 1825-1833. Two successive periods; re-elected in 1829. José Rafael de Gallegos y Alvarado 1833-1835. First term. Braulio Carrillo Colina 1835-1837. First term. Manuel Aguilar Chacón 1837-1838. Braulio Carrillo Colina 1838-1842. Second term. Francisco Morazán Quesada Apr-Sep 1842. Deposed by popular uprising; executed 15 September 1842. Antonio Pinto Soares Sept 1842. Came to power in popular uprising, and quickly resigned. José María Alfaro Zamora 1842-1844. First term. Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla Nov-Dec 1844. Rafael Moya Murillo 1844. José Rafael de Gallegos y Alvarado 1845-1846. Second term. José María Alfaro Zamora 1846-1847. Second term. José María Castro Madriz 1847-1848.
Presidents of the Republic of Costa Rica Term Party Notes
José María Castro Madriz 1848-1849. “Founder of the Republic”. First presidential term. Juan Rafael Mora Porras 1849-1859. José María Montealegre Fernández 1859-1863. Jesús Jiménez Zamora 1863-1866. First term. José María Castro Madriz 1866-1868. Second presidential term. Jesús Jiménez Zamora 1868-1870. Second term. Bruno Carranza Ramírez Apr-Aug 1870. Coup d’état. Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez 1870-1876. First term. Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz May-Jul 1876. Coup d’état. Vicente Herrera Zeledón 1876-1877. Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez 1877-1882. Second term. Próspero Fernández Oreamuno 1882-1885. Died in office. Bernardo Soto Alfaro 1885-1890. Elected in his own right in 1886. Carlos Durán Cartín 1889-1890. José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón 1890-1894. Rafael Yglesias Castro. 1894-1902. Two consecutive terms. Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra 1902-1906. Cleto González Víquez 1906-1910. First term. Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno 1910-1914. Son of Jesús Jiménez Zamora. First term. Alfredo González Flores 1914-1917. Deposed by Tinoco in a coup. Federico Tinoco Granados 1917-1919. Military dictatorship. Overthrown by popular uprising. Juan Bautista Quirós Segura Aug-Sep 1919. Forced to resign by the U.S. government. Francisco Aguilar Barquero 1919-1920. Interim presidency; dictatorial powers. Julio Acosta García 1920-1924. Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno 1924-1928. Second term. Cleto González Víquez 1928-1932. Second term. Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno 1932-1936. Third term. León Cortés Castro 1936-1940. Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia 1940-1944. Teodoro Picado Michalski 1944-1948. Deposed. José Figueres Ferrer 1948-1949.PLN. Came to power in popular uprising, civil war. First term. Luis Rafael Otilio Ulate Blanco 1949-1953. José Figueres Ferrer 1953-1958.PLN.Second term. Mario Echandi Jiménez 1958-1962. Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich 1962-1966.PLN José Joaquín Trejos Fernández 1966-1970. José Figueres Ferrer 1970-1974.PLN.Third term. Daniel Oduber Quirós 1974-1978.PLN Rodrigo Alberto Carazo Odio 1978-1982 PUSC Luis Alberto Monge Álvarez 1982-1986 PLN Óscar Arias Sánchez 1986-1990 PLN. Nobel Peace Prize winner 1987. Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier 1990-1994.PUSC.Son of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia. José María Figueres Olsen 1994-1998.PLN.Son of José Figueres Ferrer. Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría 1998-2002.PUSC
Abel Pacheco de la Espriella 2002-2006.PUSC