List of Presidents of Costa Rica

President of Costa Rica
Coat of arms of Costa Rica
Incumbent Luis Guillermo Solís since 8 May 2014
Residence	Casa Presidencial, Costa Rica
Term length	Four years, not eligible for re-election for the next two terms
Inaugural holder	José María Castro Madriz
Formation	8 May 1847
Website	President of Costa Rica

The President of Costa Rica is the head of state and head of 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. After the amendment banning reelection was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2005, an incumbent president became eligible to run again after waiting for at least eight 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 Federal Republic of Central America; since then it has been an independent nation.

Heads of State of Costa Rica (1825–1848)

  Liberal   Conservative

№	Head of State		Term of Office	Political Affiliation	Notes
1	Juan Mora Fernández		1825–1833	Liberal	Two consecutive terms; re-elected in 1829.
2	José Rafael Gallegos		1833–1835	Conservative	Resigned, Manuel Fernández Chacón and Nicolás Ulloa Soto followed as acting Heads of State.
3	Braulio Carrillo Colina		1835–1837	Liberal	First term.
4	Juan Mora Fernández		March–April 1837	Liberal	Provisional.
5	Manuel Aguilar Chacón		1837–1838	Liberal	Deposed in a coup d'état.
6	Braulio Carrillo Colina		1838–1842	Liberal	Second term. Deposed in a coup d'état.
7	Francisco Morazán		April–September 1842	Liberal	Deposed by popular uprising; executed on 15 September 1842.
8	António Pinto Soares		September 1842	Liberal	Came to power in popular uprising, and quickly resigned.
9	José María Alfaro Zamora		1842–1844	Liberal	First term. Provisional.
10	Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla		November–December 1844	Liberal	Deposed in a coup d'état.
11	José Rafael Gallegos		1845–1846	Conservative
12	José María Alfaro Zamora		1846–1847	Liberal	Second term.
13	José Castro Madriz		1847–1848	Liberal

Presidents of Costa Rica (1848–present)

  Liberal   Conservative   Military   Republican   PRN   PLN   PUN/PUSC   PAC

№	President		Term of Office		Political Affiliation	Election	Notes
1	José María Castro Madriz		8 May 1847	16 November 1849	Non-partisan Liberal	1847	"Founder of the Republic".
(1)	Miguel Mora Porras		16 November 1849	26 November 1849	Non-partisan Liberal		Interim president.
2	Juan Mora Porras		26 November 1849	14 August 1859	Non-partisan Liberal	1849 1853 1859	First, second and third term.
3	José María Montealegre Fernández		14 August 1859	8 May 1863	Non-partisan Liberal	1860	Provisional 1859–1860.
4	Jesús Jiménez Zamora		8 May 1863	8 May 1866	Non-partisan Liberal	1863
5	José Castro Madriz		8 May 1866	1 November 1868	Non-partisan Liberal	1866	Second term. Deposed in a coup d'état.
6	Jesús Jiménez Zamora		1 November 1868	27 April 1870	Military		Second term.
7	Bruno Carranza Ramírez		27 April 1870	8 August 1870	Non-partisan Liberal		Appointed by Tomás Guardia as provisional president. Resigned after a few months.
8	Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez		10 August 1870	8 May 1876	Non-partisan Liberal	1872	Provisional 1870–1872, latter elected.
9	Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz		8 May 1876	30 July 1876	Non-partisan Liberal	1876	Deposed in a coup d'état.
10	Vicente Herrera Zeledón		30 July 1876	11 September 1877	Non-partisan Conservative		Appointed by Guardia.
11	Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez		11 September 1877	6 July 1882	Non-partisan Liberal		Second term as de facto ruler. Died in office.
12	Saturnino Lizano Gutiérrez		6 July 1882	20 July 1882	Non-partisan Liberal		Acting president.
13	Próspero Fernández Oreamuno		20 July 1882	12 March 1885	Non-partisan Liberal	1882	Died in office.
14	Bernardo Soto Alfaro		12 March 1885	8 May 1890	Non-partisan Liberal	1886	Two consecutive terms, the first incomplete. Carlos Durán Cartín was acting president 1889–1890.
15	José Rodríguez Zeledón		8 May 1890	8 May 1894	Constitutional	1889
16	Rafael Yglesias Castro		8 May 1894	8 May 1902	Civil Party	1893	First and second term.
17	Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra		8 May 1902	8 May 1906	National Union	1901
18	Cleto González Víquez		8 May 1906	8 May 1910	National	1905	First term.
19	Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno		8 May 1910	8 May 1914	Republican	1909	First term. Son of Jesús Jiménez Zamora.
20	Alfredo González Flores		8 May 1914	27 January 1917	Republican	Designated by Congress as no clear candidate won in 1913	Deposed by Tinoco in a coup d'état.
21	Federico Tinoco Granados		27 January 1917	13 August 1919	Military / Tinoquista	1917	First and second term. Overthrown by popular uprising.
22	Juan Quirós Segura		13 August 1919	2 September 1919	Military / Tinoquista		Previously Vice President. Forced to resign by the U.S. government.
23	Francisco Aguilar Barquero		2 September 1919	8 May 1920	National		Interim president.
24	Julio Acosta García		8 May 1920	8 May 1924	Constitutional	1919
25	Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno		8 May 1924	8 May 1928	Republican	1923	Second term.
26	Cleto González Víquez		8 May 1928	8 May 1932	National Union	1928	Second term.
27	Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno		8 May 1932	8 May 1936	National Republican	1932	Third term.
28	León Cortés Castro		8 May 1936	8 May 1940	National Republican	1936
29	Rafael Calderón Guardia		8 May 1940	8 May 1944	National Republican	1940
30	Teodoro Picado Michalski		8 May 1944	8 May 1948	National Republican	1944
(31a)	Santos León Herrera		20 April 1948	8 May 1948	National Republican		Interim president. Former vice-president of Teodoro Picado Michalski.
(31b)	José Figueres Ferrer		8 May 1948	8 November 1949	Social Democratic	De facto	Came to power in the Civil War. Returned power to elected president after re-organizing the government.
31	Otilio Ulate Blanco		7 November 1949	8 May 1953	National Union	1948
32	José Figueres Ferrer		8 May 1953	8 May 1958	National Liberation	1953	Second term. Presidential re-election disallowed.
33	Mario Echandi Jiménez		8 May 1958	8 May 1962	National Union	1958
34	Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich		8 May 1962	8 May 1966	National Liberation	1962
35	José Trejos Fernández		8 May 1966	8 May 1970	National Unification	1966
36	José Figueres Ferrer		8 May 1970	8 May 1974	National Liberation	1970	Third term. Presidential re-election disallowed.
37	Daniel Oduber Quirós		8 May 1974	8 May 1978	National Liberation	1974
38	Rodrigo Carazo Odio		8 May 1978	8 May 1982	Unity Coalition	1978
39	Luis Monge Álvarez		8 May 1982	8 May 1986	National Liberation	1982
40	Óscar Arias		8 May 1986	8 May 1990	National Liberation	1986	Nobel Peace Prize winner 1987.
41	Rafael Calderón Fournier		8 May 1990	8 May 1994	Social Christian Unity	1990	Son of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia.
42	José Figueres Olsen		8 May 1994	8 May 1998	National Liberation	1994	Son of José Figueres Ferrer.
43	Miguel Rodríguez Echeverría		8 May 1998	8 May 2002	Social Christian Unity	1998
44	Abel Pacheco de la Espriella		8 May 2002	8 May 2006	Social Christian Unity	2002	Presidential re-election re-instated.
45	Óscar Arias		8 May 2006	8 May 2010	National Liberation	2006	Second term.
46	Laura Chinchilla		8 May 2010	8 May 2014	National Liberation	2010	First female president of Costa Rica.[2]
47	Luis Guillermo Solís		8 May 2014	Incumbent	Citizens' Action	2014

Post-presidency

• Living former Presidents
• 

  Rafael Ángel Calderón,
  served 1990–1994
  March 14, 1949

• 

  José María Figueres,
  served 1994–1998
  December 24, 1954

• 

  Miguel Ángel Rodríguez,
  served 1998–2002
  January 8, 1940

• 

  Abel Pacheco,
  served 2002–2006
  December 22, 1933

• 

  Óscar Arias,
  served 1986–1990 and 2006-2010
  September 13, 1940

• 

  Laura Chinchilla,
  served 2010–2014
  March 28, 1959

Latest election

Candidate	Party	First round		Second round
		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
José Echandi	National Advance Party	4,388	0.21
Walter Muñoz	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

• Politics of Costa Rica
• List of political parties in Costa Rica
• History of Costa Rica

References

1. http://www.guiascostarica.com/cr1.htm Executive Branch
2. "Costa Rica's new president: After Arias: Tax increases, trade deals and antidisestablishmentarianism.". The Economist. 6 May 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.