427:
cultural and economic development of the nation. He promised particular attention to the less well developed areas of Costa Rica, such as
Guanacaste and the Atlantic region which had been largely abandoned by the United Fruit Company. He pledged himself to a revision of the entire system of taxation on the just basis of capacity to contribute. He promised to give a new impulse to rural credit, to provide for a program of land distribution through the National Bank, and to initiate a program of low-cost housing. He proposed to found a national university that would orient public opinion on social questions and promote the general progress of the republic. As contribution to the welfare of all, he promised to institute a modern system of social security.
460:
of the Labor Code; the pragmatic Land Law, the so-called Law of
Parasites, which allowed the landless to acquire title to land on the promise of cultivating it, and a simple but effective program of distributing free shoes to needy children in the first grade to protect their feet against parasites and to help abate the feelings of inferiority produced by the lack of such a basic item. These and other measures were sponsored by Calderon Guardia to build the infrastructure of a socially oriented national economy and to deal, simultaneously and directly, with the pressing needs of the most deprived members of the Costa Rican family.
55:
361:
539:, founded a new party in 1984 and became president of Costa Rica fifty years after his father did in 1990 in a transformed Costa Rican society and with a much more right-wing approach to governing. His daughter Alejandra became a left-wing political activist whose career on a socialist platform was cut short after a deadly road accident in 1979. And his youngest daughter Maria del Rosario became an author and educator. Calderon Guardia's second wife Rosario Fournier Mora survived her husband until 1999 when she died at 79.
520:
Figueres seized power. Figueres is noted for seizing power by force, establishing the framework for a successful modern
Democracy (which lasts to this day), disbanding the military, and then relinquishing power. He went on to become a democratically elected president on two occasions with his National Liberation Party (named after his National Liberation Army). Figueres is celebrated as a national hero in Costa Rica to this day, while Calderón's image remains diminished, in spite of his crucial social reforms.
1200:
512:(Cambridge University Press) that leaders of the Republican Party and the PUN agreed to end the civil war and to have Dr. Julio Cesar Ovares rule as interim president for two years and then the TNE would hold new elections; but when this plan was presented to Figueres, he rejected its terms and instead continued to lead his army and win the civil war.
452:. During the war his government imprisoned many Costa Ricans of German descent and confiscated many of their assets including large coffee plantations and banking businesses. This made him very unpopular with the powerful German minority in the country. Many German families and their descendants would later become backers of Calderón's rival,
471:. This unlikely alliance was strong enough to transform the country's labor laws, its health and education systems, and its economic structure. He enjoyed wide support among the poor, but a growing coalition of land owners, industrialists, military leaders, and conservative Church officials strongly opposed him, polarizing society.
434:, and other important protections for laborers. Prior to this reform, working conditions for Costa Rica's poor had been abhorrent. Calderón also founded the CCSS, a national social security retirement program, extremely advanced for its time. He also instituted a national healthcare program. In education, he established the
491:
to succeed him as president. Picado was also backed by
Archbishop Sanabria, and the former Communist leader Manuel Mora in the 1944 election. There were accusations of government fraud during the election, which was a usual practice in Costa Rica. However, Picado's 2:1 margin of victory suggests that
459:
In spite of exigencies of war, the Calderón
Guardia government realized prodigious advances for the nation. It sponsored comprehensive programs that included, among others, the Law for New Industries to encourage diversification of the economy; the creation of the Social Security System and enactment
531:
where he worked again as a doctor to support his family. In 1958, Calderón
Guardia was allowed to return to Costa Rica and was elected as congressman, but he did not serve as such. He ran for the presidency again in 1962 but lost. He was also named ambassador to Mexico (1966–1970). He died in 1970.
519:
launched a coup against Picado's government in 1948. In the civil war, the Picado government forces were backed by the communists who believed that Ulate was a threat to the social legislation that had been established under
Calderon Guardia's government. After 2,000 deaths, the civil war ended and
504:
defeated him by 10,000 votes in a very questionable election (since
Calderon's party actually received more votes for Congress than Ulate's party at a time when the Costa Rican society was heavily polarized, suggesting the non-likelihood of a "split vote"). Ulate was proclaimed winner by the two of
426:
Calderon
Guardia responded to the demand for reform when he assumed the presidency in 1940, and, in doing so, he offered the electorate a viable alternative to the Communist solutions to social questions. His inaugural address outlined measures by which his government proposed to foment the social,
478:
From 1940 forward, the various contestants in the political arena could not disregard
Calderon Guardia's functioning program with its sharp focus on social issues. He was determined, even if it entailed intimidation, to carry out his plans. His program and the methods he used to put it into effect
492:
he would have won regardless of these instances. Picado's presidency was quieter and more conciliatory than that of Calderón. But both Calderón and his enemies were preparing for the upcoming showdown in 1948, when Calderón would be constitutionally eligible again to run for president.
542:
Calderón Guardia remains one of the most controversial figures in Costa Rican history. His characterization as Figueres' primary antagonist served to strengthen this position in favor of the pro-Figueres consensus of having Figueres the "hero of the revolution" after the
422:
Calderón soon turned his back on the conservative coffee elite to address widespread poverty and poor health conditions among the working poor. He became the first Central American president to primarily focus his attention on poverty and deteriorating social conditions.
400:, who was later to be the first female diplomat of Costa Rica. After finishing his studies in Belgium, Calderón Guardia became a medical doctor and practicing surgeon, which he would remain for most of his life, even after serving as president.
403:
He became the Municipal President of San Jose at the age of 30 and in 1934 he won a seat in congress as a member of the Republican Party before being backed as a presidential candidate by then President Leon Cortes Castro in 1940.
547:
won the civil war. Thus, while his social reforms had an enormous impact on Costa Rica, after the congress made the elections of 1948 void and his failed attempts to regain power in 1948 and 1962 hurt his reputation.
474:
Calderon Guardia headed a traditional party which included elements from all segments of society. He attracted a following among the masses of society such as no previous political figure had ever achieved.
479:
therefore became inextricable parts of the social issue. His work of reform challenged the domination of the elite, which consequently became politically more active, aware and cohesive.
441:
To this day, Costa Rica has been well known around the world for its system of universal health care, its high education levels, and the social security system founded under Calderón.
505:
three members of the Electoral Board. However, the Congress, controlled by Calderón's party, declared the election to be null and void and that a new election would be held.
416:. Shortly after becoming president-elect, he met with American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor on March 25 and 26 of that year in Washington, D.C.
1257:
720:
Fabric E. Lehoucq and Ivan Molina “Stuffing the Ballot Box: Fraud Electoral Reform, And Democratization in Costa Rica”. Cambridge University Press. Copyright 2002. p. 221
463:
Calderón developed strong ties with labor organizations, certain important figures of the Catholic Church, such as the progressive Archbishop Víctor Sanabria, and the
396:
Rafael Angel Calderón Guardia was born on 8 March 1900 in San José. In his youth, Calderón Guardia studied in Costa Rica, France and Belgium, where he married
600:
For a detailed analysis of the influence of coffee elites in Costa Rica, see Jeffrey Paige, Coffee and Power (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997).
693:
John Patrick Bell "Crisis in Costa Rica: The 1948 Revolution". Institute of Latin American Studies - University of Texas Publishing, Copyright 1971 p. 29-30
684:
John Patrick Bell "Crisis in Costa Rica: The 1948 Revolution". Institute of Latin American Studies - University of Texas Publishing, Copyright 1971 p. 39
675:
John Patrick Bell "Crisis in Costa Rica: The 1948 Revolution". Institute of Latin American Studies - University of Texas Publishing, Copyright 1971 p. 29
666:
John Patrick Bell "Crisis in Costa Rica: The 1948 Revolution". Institute of Latin American Studies - University of Texas Publishing, Copyright 1971 p. 29
645:
John Patrick Bell "Crisis in Costa Rica: The 1948 Revolution". Institute of Latin American Studies - University of Texas Publishing, Copyright 1971 p. 27
636:
John Patrick Bell "Crisis in Costa Rica: The 1948 Revolution". Institute of Latin American Studies - University of Texas Publishing, Copyright 1971 p. 27
627:
John Patrick Bell "Crisis in Costa Rica: The 1948 Revolution". Institute of Latin American Studies - University of Texas Publishing, Copyright 1971 p. 27
618:
John Patrick Bell "Crisis in Costa Rica: The 1948 Revolution". Institute of Latin American Studies - University of Texas Publishing, Copyright 1971 p. 27
609:
John Patrick Bell "Crisis in Costa Rica: The 1948 Revolution". Institute of Latin American Studies - University of Texas Publishing, Copyright 1971 p. 27
823:
419:
Prior to Calderón, Costa Rican Presidents, while democratically elected, had largely supported the interests of the conservative coffee oligarchy.
1247:
1237:
360:
1282:
1267:
1262:
1010:
1287:
464:
1277:
816:
247:
1242:
1115:
1252:
836:
1145:
536:
307:
899:
331:
110:
1272:
809:
1297:
995:
832:
337:
1045:
1292:
955:
930:
914:
909:
894:
990:
985:
970:
1020:
1155:
1110:
945:
869:
1070:
1060:
1030:
1065:
1050:
1025:
318:
1035:
980:
960:
950:
975:
587:
1150:
1085:
1040:
1005:
791:
488:
435:
102:
1105:
874:
1180:
1075:
940:
879:
864:
781:
772:
413:
385:
90:
67:
1175:
1125:
1120:
1100:
1090:
904:
889:
859:
758:
Ian Holzhauer, "The Presidency of Calderón Guardia" (University of Florida History Thesis, 2004)
745:
Ian Holzhauer, "The Presidency of Calderón Guardia" (University of Florida History Thesis, 2004)
656:
Ian Holzhauer, "The Presidency of Calderón Guardia" (University of Florida History Thesis, 2004)
516:
453:
237:
221:
1015:
397:
259:
1055:
854:
801:
1185:
711:
John Patrick Bell, Crisis in Costa Rica (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1971), p. 121
702:
John Patrick Bell, Crisis in Costa Rica (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1971), p. 112
1232:
1227:
1000:
884:
575:
193:
151:
54:
8:
1130:
1095:
501:
730:
1135:
935:
1204:
557:
1170:
510:
Stuffing the Ballot Box: Fraud Electoral Reform, And Democratization in Costa Rica
310:(1949–), Alejandra Calderon Fournier (1954–1979), Maria Calderon Fournier (1960–)
757:
744:
655:
965:
1165:
1140:
412:
In 1940, with the support of conservative coffee elites, Calderón was elected
1221:
449:
576:
El Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones: Presidentes de la República de Costa Rica
1160:
445:
431:
20:
544:
468:
430:
During his presidency he established the Work Code, which introduced the
840:
381:
377:
326:
42:
524:
349:
24:
831:
528:
523:
Upon the victory of Figueres' armed forces, Calderón fled to
495:
1258:
National Unification Party (Costa Rica) politicians
1219:
31: and the second or maternal family name is
817:
335:
500:In 1948, Calderón ran for president again.
448:on the Allied side and cooperated with the
824:
810:
295: 1947–1970)
274: 1927–1945)
53:
16:President of Costa Rica from 1940 to 1944
1220:
508:Historians Molina and Lehoucq show in
444:Calderón also brought Costa Rica into
1248:Costa Rican people of Spanish descent
805:
376:(March 8, 1900 – June 9, 1970) was a
159:Deputy of the Constitutional Congress
123:May 1, 1958 – April 30, 1962
1238:20th-century Costa Rican politicians
731:"Noticias de deportes en Costa Rica"
1283:Ambassadors of Costa Rica to Mexico
1268:People of the Costa Rican Civil War
178: – 30 April 1940
13:
752:
111:Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica
80:May 8, 1940 – May 8, 1944
14:
1309:
496:The Costa Rican Civil War of 1948
1263:People from San José, Costa Rica
1198:
359:
332:Université catholique de Louvain
737:
723:
714:
705:
696:
687:
678:
669:
660:
482:
292:
271:
1288:World War II political leaders
648:
639:
630:
621:
612:
603:
594:
580:
569:
537:Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier
1:
1278:Vice presidents of Costa Rica
407:
391:
374:Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia
338:Université libre de Bruxelles
1243:20th-century Roman Catholics
487:In 1944, Calderón supported
133:Oldemar Chavarría Chinchilla
23:, the first or paternal
7:
1253:Costa Rican Roman Catholics
551:
10:
1314:
321:and Ana María Guardia Mora
18:
1194:
923:
847:
788:
779:
769:
764:
367:
355:
345:
336:
325:
314:
303:
253:
248:National Republican Party
243:
227:
208:
203:
199:
189:
163:
158:
147:
137:
127:
116:
108:
96:
84:
73:
65:
61:
52:
40:
1273:Presidents of Costa Rica
792:Teodoro Picado Michalski
563:
489:Teodoro Picado Michalski
436:University of Costa Rica
103:Teodoro Picado Michalski
1298:20th-century physicians
782:President of Costa Rica
414:President of Costa Rica
68:President of Costa Rica
398:Yvonne Clays Spoelders
260:Yvonne Clays Spoelders
1205:Costa Rica portal
319:Rafael Calderón Muñoz
282:Rosario Fournier Mora
47:Rafael Ángel Calderón
1293:Costa Rican surgeons
1156:Rodríguez Echeverría
517:José Figueres Ferrer
454:José Figueres Ferrer
238:San José, Costa Rica
222:San José, Costa Rica
170:1 May 1934
143:Jorge Montero Castro
855:Juan Mora Fernández
502:Otilio Ulate Blanco
388:from 1940 to 1944.
380:medical doctor and
773:León Cortés Castro
765:Political offices
588:"March 25th, 1940"
91:León Cortés Castro
1212:
1211:
1146:Calderón Fournier
1011:Rodríguez Zeledón
800:
799:
789:Succeeded by
558:Social Guarantees
371:
370:
308:Rafael Ángel, Jr.
194:San José Province
1305:
1203:
1202:
1201:
1081:Calderón Guardia
1071:Jiménez Oreamuno
1061:Jiménez Oreamuno
1031:Jiménez Oreamuno
941:Juan Mora Porras
826:
819:
812:
803:
802:
770:Preceded by
762:
761:
747:
741:
735:
734:
727:
721:
718:
712:
709:
703:
700:
694:
691:
685:
682:
676:
673:
667:
664:
658:
652:
646:
643:
637:
634:
628:
625:
619:
616:
610:
607:
601:
598:
592:
591:
584:
578:
573:
515:The charismatic
384:, who served as
363:
341:
340:
296:
294:
275:
273:
234:
218:
216:
204:Personal details
185:
183:
177:
175:
168:
140:
130:
121:
99:
87:
78:
57:
38:
37:
1313:
1312:
1308:
1307:
1306:
1304:
1303:
1302:
1218:
1217:
1215:
1213:
1208:
1199:
1197:
1190:
1121:Figueres Ferrer
1101:Figueres Ferrer
1091:Figueres Ferrer
1066:González Víquez
1036:González Flores
1026:González Víquez
1021:Esquivel Ibarra
919:
843:
830:
796:
794:
785:
777:
775:
755:
753:Further reading
750:
742:
738:
729:
728:
724:
719:
715:
710:
706:
701:
697:
692:
688:
683:
679:
674:
670:
665:
661:
653:
649:
644:
640:
635:
631:
626:
622:
617:
613:
608:
604:
599:
595:
586:
585:
581:
574:
570:
566:
554:
498:
485:
465:Communist Party
410:
394:
334:
298:
290:
286:
283:
279:
277:
269:
265:
262:
244:Political party
236:
232:
220:
214:
212:
181:
179:
173:
171:
169:
164:
138:
128:
122:
117:
97:
85:
79:
74:
48:
45:
36:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1311:
1301:
1300:
1295:
1290:
1285:
1280:
1275:
1270:
1265:
1260:
1255:
1250:
1245:
1240:
1235:
1230:
1210:
1209:
1195:
1192:
1191:
1189:
1188:
1183:
1178:
1173:
1168:
1163:
1158:
1153:
1151:Figueres Olsen
1148:
1143:
1138:
1133:
1128:
1123:
1118:
1113:
1108:
1103:
1098:
1093:
1088:
1083:
1078:
1073:
1068:
1063:
1058:
1053:
1048:
1043:
1038:
1033:
1028:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1003:
998:
993:
988:
983:
978:
976:Esquivel Sáenz
973:
968:
963:
961:Jiménez Zamora
958:
953:
951:Jiménez Zamora
948:
943:
938:
933:
927:
925:
921:
920:
918:
917:
912:
907:
902:
897:
892:
887:
882:
877:
872:
867:
862:
857:
851:
849:
845:
844:
837:heads of state
829:
828:
821:
814:
806:
798:
797:
790:
787:
778:
771:
767:
766:
754:
751:
749:
748:
736:
722:
713:
704:
695:
686:
677:
668:
659:
647:
638:
629:
620:
611:
602:
593:
579:
567:
565:
562:
561:
560:
553:
550:
497:
494:
484:
481:
409:
406:
393:
390:
369:
368:
365:
364:
357:
353:
352:
347:
343:
342:
329:
323:
322:
316:
312:
311:
305:
301:
300:
288:
284:
281:
280:
267:
263:
258:
257:
255:
251:
250:
245:
241:
240:
235:(aged 70)
229:
225:
224:
210:
206:
205:
201:
200:
197:
196:
191:
187:
186:
161:
160:
156:
155:
149:
145:
144:
141:
135:
134:
131:
125:
124:
114:
113:
109:Deputy of the
106:
105:
100:
94:
93:
88:
82:
81:
71:
70:
63:
62:
59:
58:
50:
49:
46:
43:His Excellency
41:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1310:
1299:
1296:
1294:
1291:
1289:
1286:
1284:
1281:
1279:
1276:
1274:
1271:
1269:
1266:
1264:
1261:
1259:
1256:
1254:
1251:
1249:
1246:
1244:
1241:
1239:
1236:
1234:
1231:
1229:
1226:
1225:
1223:
1216:
1207:
1206:
1193:
1187:
1184:
1182:
1179:
1177:
1174:
1172:
1169:
1167:
1164:
1162:
1159:
1157:
1154:
1152:
1149:
1147:
1144:
1142:
1139:
1137:
1134:
1132:
1129:
1127:
1124:
1122:
1119:
1117:
1114:
1112:
1109:
1107:
1104:
1102:
1099:
1097:
1094:
1092:
1089:
1087:
1084:
1082:
1079:
1077:
1074:
1072:
1069:
1067:
1064:
1062:
1059:
1057:
1054:
1052:
1049:
1047:
1044:
1042:
1039:
1037:
1034:
1032:
1029:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1019:
1017:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
997:
994:
992:
989:
987:
984:
982:
979:
977:
974:
972:
969:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
952:
949:
947:
944:
942:
939:
937:
934:
932:
929:
928:
926:
922:
916:
913:
911:
908:
906:
903:
901:
898:
896:
893:
891:
888:
886:
883:
881:
878:
876:
873:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
858:
856:
853:
852:
850:
846:
842:
838:
834:
827:
822:
820:
815:
813:
808:
807:
804:
793:
784:
783:
774:
768:
763:
760:
759:
746:
740:
732:
726:
717:
708:
699:
690:
681:
672:
663:
657:
651:
642:
633:
624:
615:
606:
597:
589:
583:
577:
572:
568:
559:
556:
555:
549:
546:
540:
538:
533:
530:
526:
521:
518:
513:
511:
506:
503:
493:
490:
480:
476:
472:
470:
466:
461:
457:
455:
451:
450:United States
447:
442:
439:
437:
433:
428:
424:
420:
417:
415:
405:
401:
399:
389:
387:
383:
379:
375:
366:
362:
358:
354:
351:
348:
344:
339:
333:
330:
328:
324:
320:
317:
313:
309:
306:
302:
261:
256:
252:
249:
246:
242:
239:
230:
226:
223:
219:March 8, 1900
211:
207:
202:
198:
195:
192:
188:
167:
162:
157:
153:
150:
146:
142:
136:
132:
126:
120:
115:
112:
107:
104:
101:
95:
92:
89:
83:
77:
72:
69:
64:
60:
56:
51:
44:
39:
34:
30:
26:
22:
1214:
1196:
1080:
870:Joaquín Mora
780:
756:
739:
725:
716:
707:
698:
689:
680:
671:
662:
650:
641:
632:
623:
614:
605:
596:
582:
571:
541:
534:
527:and then to
522:
514:
509:
507:
499:
486:
483:Picado Years
477:
473:
462:
458:
446:World War II
443:
440:
432:minimum wage
429:
425:
421:
418:
411:
402:
395:
373:
372:
233:(1970-06-09)
231:June 9, 1970
190:Constituency
165:
154:(6th Office)
148:Constituency
139:Succeeded by
118:
98:Succeeded by
75:
32:
28:
21:Spanish name
1233:1970 deaths
1228:1900 births
946:Montealegre
936:Miguel Mora
545:Figueristas
469:Manuel Mora
378:Costa Rican
299:; his death
129:Preceded by
86:Preceded by
1222:Categories
1171:Chinchilla
924:After 1848
841:Costa Rica
833:Presidents
786:1940–1944
408:Presidency
392:Early life
382:politician
346:Profession
327:Alma mater
278:; divorced
215:1900-03-08
182:1940-04-30
174:1934-05-01
996:Fernández
848:1825–1848
795:1944–1948
776:1936–1940
535:His son,
525:Nicaragua
467:, led by
386:President
356:Signature
315:Parent(s)
254:Spouse(s)
166:In office
119:In office
76:In office
66:29th
1181:Alvarado
1016:Yglesias
966:Carranza
905:Gallegos
900:Oreamuno
880:Carrillo
865:Carrillo
860:Gallegos
552:See also
304:Children
152:San José
29:Calderón
19:In this
1161:Pacheco
1106:Echandi
1051:Aguilar
986:Guardia
981:Herrera
971:Guardia
885:Morazán
875:Aguilar
297:
289:
285:
276:
268:
264:
180: (
172: (
33:Guardia
25:surname
1186:Chaves
1131:Carazo
1126:Oduber
1116:Trejos
1111:Orlich
1086:Picado
1076:Cortés
1056:Acosta
1046:Quirós
1041:Tinoco
991:Lizano
956:Castro
931:Castro
915:Castro
910:Alfaro
895:Alfaro
529:Mexico
350:Doctor
1176:Solís
1166:Arias
1141:Arias
1136:Monge
1096:Ulate
1006:Durán
890:Pinto
564:Notes
291:(
287:
270:(
266:
1001:Soto
835:and
743:See
654:See
228:Died
209:Born
839:of
27:is
1224::
456:.
438:.
293:m.
272:m.
825:e
818:t
811:v
733:.
590:.
217:)
213:(
184:)
176:)
35:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
