List of presidents of Costa Rica

See also: List of heads of state of Costa Rica

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The following article lists the 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 (1824–1848)

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Liberal Conservative

No. | Head of State  | Portrait  | Term of Office  | Political Affiliation  | Notes

|
|
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|
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1 | Juan Mora Fernández
(1784–1854) |  | 1824–1833  | Liberal  | Two consecutive terms; re-elected in 1829.
2 | José Rafael Gallegos
(1784–1850) |  | 1833–1835  | Conservative  | Resigned, Manuel Fernández Chacón and Nicolás Ulloa Soto followed as acting Heads of State.
3 | Braulio Carrillo Colina
(1800–1845) |  | 1835–1837  | Liberal  | First term.
4 | Juan Mora Fernández
(1784–1854) |  | March–April 1837  | Liberal  | Provisional.
5 | Manuel Aguilar Chacón
(1797–1846) |  | 1837–1838  | Liberal  | Deposed in a coup d'état.
6 | Braulio Carrillo Colina
(1800–1845) |  | 1838–1842  | Liberal  | Second term. Deposed in a coup d'état.
7 | Francisco Morazán
(1792–1842) |  | April–September 1842  | Liberal  | Deposed by popular uprising; executed on 15 September 1842.
8 | António Pinto Soares
(1780–1865) |  | September 1842  | Liberal  | Came to power in popular uprising, and quickly resigned.
9 | José María Alfaro Zamora
(1799–1865) |  | 1842–1844  | Liberal  | First term. Provisional.
10 | Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla
(1801–1856) |  | November–December 1844  | Liberal  | Deposed in a coup d'état.
11 | José Rafael Gallegos
(1784–1850) |  | 1845–1846  | Conservative  |
12 | José María Alfaro Zamora
(1799–1856) |  | 1846–1847  | Liberal  | Second term.
13 | José Castro Madriz
(1818–1892) |  | 1847–1848  | Liberal  |

## Presidents of Costa Rica (1848–present)

[edit]

Liberal Conservative Military PP PR PRN PUN PLN PUSC PAC PPSD

No. | President
(Birth–Death) | Term of Office  | Political Affiliation  | Election | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

1 | José María Castro Madriz
(1818–1892) |  | 31 August 1848[1] | 16 November 1849  | Non-partisan Liberal  | 1847 | "Founder of the Republic".
(1) | Miguel Mora Porras
(1816–1887) |  | 16 November 1849  | 26 November 1849  | Non-partisan Liberal  |  | Interim president.
2 | Juan Mora Porras
(1814–1860) |  | 26 November 1849  | 14 August 1859  | Non-partisan Liberal  | 1849
1853
1859 | First, second and third term.
3 | José María Montealegre Fernández
(1815–1887) |  | 14 August 1859  | 8 May 1863  | Non-partisan Liberal  | 1860 | Provisional 1859–1860.
4 | Jesús Jiménez Zamora
(1823–1897) |  | 8 May 1863  | 8 May 1866  | Non-partisan Liberal  | 1863 |
5 | José Castro Madriz
(1818–1892) |  | 8 May 1866  | 1 November 1868  | Non-partisan Liberal  | 1866 | Second term. Deposed in a coup d'état.
6 | Jesús Jiménez Zamora
(1823–1897) |  | 1 November 1868  | 27 April 1870  | Military  | De facto | Second term.
7 | Bruno Carranza Ramírez
(1822–1891) |  | 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
(1831–1882) |  | 10 August 1870  | 8 May 1876  | Non-partisan Liberal  | 1872 | Provisional 1870–1872, latter elected.
9 | Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz
(1824–1898) |  | 8 May 1876  | 30 July 1876  | Non-partisan Liberal  | 1876 | Deposed in a coup d'état.
10 | Vicente Herrera Zeledón
(1821–1888) |  | 30 July 1876  | 11 September 1877  | Non-partisan Conservative  |  | Appointed by Guardia.
11 | Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez
(1831–1882) |  | 11 September 1877  | 6 July 1882  | Non-partisan Liberal  |  | Second term as de facto ruler. Died in office.
12 | Saturnino Lizano Gutiérrez
(1826–1905) |  | 6 July 1882  | 20 July 1882  | Non-partisan Liberal  |  | Acting president.
13 | Próspero Fernández Oreamuno
(1834–1885) |  | 20 July 1882  | 12 March 1885  | Non-partisan Liberal  | 1882 | Died in office.
14 | Bernardo Soto Alfaro
(1854–1931) |  | 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
(1837–1917) |  | 8 May 1890  | 8 May 1894  | Constitutional | 1889 |
16 | Rafael Yglesias Castro
(1861–1924) |  | 8 May 1894  | 8 May 1902  | Civil | 1893 | First and second term.
17 | Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra
(1844–1923) |  | 8 May 1902  | 8 May 1906  | National Union | 1901 |
18 | Cleto González Víquez
(1858–1937) |  | 8 May 1906  | 8 May 1910  | National | 1905 | First term.
19 | Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno
(1859–1945) |  | 8 May 1910  | 8 May 1914  | Republican | 1909 | First term. Son of Jesús Jiménez Zamora.
20 | Alfredo González Flores
(1877–1962) |  | 8 May 1914  | 27 January 1917  | Republican | Designated by Congress as no clear candidate won in 1913 | De facto
Deposed by Tinoco in a coup d'état.
21 | Federico Tinoco Granados
(1868–1931) |  | 27 January 1917  | 13 August 1919  | Peliquista | Took power after coup, was sole candidate in the 1917 election | First and second term. Overthrown by popular uprising.
22 | Juan Quirós Segura
(1853–1934) |  | 13 August 1919  | 2 September 1919  | Peliquista | De facto | Previously Vice President. Replaced Tinoco after his escape. Forced to resign by the U.S. government.
23 | Francisco Aguilar Barquero
(1857–1924) |  | 2 September 1919  | 8 May 1920  | Republican |  | Interim president.
24 | Julio Acosta García
(1872–1954) |  | 8 May 1920  | 8 May 1924  | Constitutional | 1919 |
25 | Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno
(1859–1945) |  | 8 May 1924  | 8 May 1928  | Republican | 1923 | Second term.
26 | Cleto González Víquez
(1858–1937) |  | 8 May 1928  | 8 May 1932  | National Union | 1928 | Second term.
27 | Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno
(1859–1945) |  | 8 May 1932  | 8 May 1936  | National Republican | 1932 | Third term.
28 | León Cortés Castro
(1882–1946) |  | 8 May 1936  | 8 May 1940  | National Republican | 1936 |
29 | Rafael Calderón Guardia
(1900–1970) |  | 8 May 1940  | 8 May 1944  | National Republican | 1940 |
30 | Teodoro Picado Michalski
(1900–1960) |  | 8 May 1944  | 20 April 1948  | National Republican | 1944 |
(31a) | Santos León Herrera
(1874–1950) |  | 20 April 1948  | 8 May 1948  | National Republican |  | Interim president. Former vice-president of Teodoro Picado Michalski.
(31b) | José Figueres Ferrer
(1906–1990) |  | 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
(1891–1973) |  | 8 November 1949  | 8 November 1953  | National Union | 1948 |
32 | José Figueres Ferrer
(1906–1990) |  | 8 November 1953  | 8 May 1958  | National Liberation | 1953 | Second term. Presidential re-election disallowed.
33 | Mario Echandi Jiménez
(1915–2011) |  | 8 May 1958  | 8 May 1962  | National Union | 1958 |
34 | Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich
(1907–1969) |  | 8 May 1962  | 8 May 1966  | National Liberation | 1962 |
35 | José Trejos Fernández
(1916–2010) |  | 8 May 1966  | 8 May 1970  | National Unification | 1966 |
36 | José Figueres Ferrer
(1906–1990) |  | 8 May 1970  | 8 May 1974  | National Liberation | 1970 | Third term. Presidential re-election disallowed.
37 | Daniel Oduber Quirós
(1921–1991) |  | 8 May 1974  | 8 May 1978  | National Liberation | 1974 |
38 | Rodrigo Carazo Odio
(1926–2009) |  | 8 May 1978  | 8 May 1982  | Unity Coalition | 1978 |
39 | Luis Monge Álvarez
(1925–2016) |  | 8 May 1982  | 8 May 1986  | National Liberation | 1982 |
40 | Óscar Arias Sánchez
(born 1940) |  | 8 May 1986  | 8 May 1990  | National Liberation | 1986 | Nobel Peace Prize winner (1987).
First term.
41 | Rafael Calderón Fournier
(born 1949) |  | 8 May 1990  | 8 May 1994  | Social Christian Unity | 1990 | Son of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia.
42 | José Figueres Olsen
(born 1954) |  | 8 May 1994  | 8 May 1998  | National Liberation | 1994 | Son of José Figueres Ferrer.
43 | Miguel Rodríguez Echeverría
(born 1940) |  | 8 May 1998  | 8 May 2002  | Social Christian Unity | 1998 |
44 | Abel Pacheco de la Espriella
(born 1933) |  | 8 May 2002  | 8 May 2006  | Social Christian Unity | 2002 | Presidential re-election re-instated.
45 | Óscar Arias Sánchez
(born 1940) |  | 8 May 2006  | 8 May 2010  | National Liberation | 2006 | Second term.
46 | Laura Chinchilla Miranda
(born 1959) |  | 8 May 2010  | 8 May 2014  | National Liberation | 2010 | First female president of Costa Rica.[2]
47 | Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera
(born 1958) |  | 8 May 2014  | 8 May 2018  | Citizens' Action | 2014 |
48 | Carlos Alvarado Quesada
(born 1980) |  | 8 May 2018  | 8 May 2022  | Citizens' Action | 2018 | Youngest president since Alfredo González Flores (1914). First president to be called by Congress for hearing.
49 | Rodrigo Chaves Robles
(born 1961) |  | 8 May 2022  | Incumbent
(Term ends on 8 May 2026)  | Social Democratic Progress  | 2022 | Incumbent

## Timeline

[edit]

## See also

[edit]

* List of presidents of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica
* List of presidents of the Supreme Court of Costa Rica

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Rodrigo A. Granados Jiménez (2015). "Presidentes de la República de Costa Rica" (PDF). Infohistoria (in Spanish). El Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (government of Costa Rica).
2. ^ "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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Presidents and heads of state of Costa Rica

1825–1848|

* Juan Mora Fernández
* Gallegos
* Carrillo
* Joaquín Mora
* Aguilar
* Carrillo
* Morazán
* Pinto
* Alfaro
* Oreamuno
* Gallegos
* Alfaro
* Castro

After 1848|

* Castro
* Miguel Mora
* Juan Mora Porras
* Montealegre
* Jiménez Zamora
* Castro
* Jiménez Zamora
* Carranza
* Guardia
* Esquivel Sáenz
* Herrera
* Guardia
* Lizano
* Fernández
* Soto
* Durán
* 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
* Alvarado
* Chaves

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