Heads of State of Costa Rica

Heads of State of Costa Rica

Juan Mora Fernández 1825-1833 Two successive periods; re-elected in 1829.
José Rafael de Gallegos y Alvarado 1833-1835
Manuel Fernández Chacón 1835
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 1844-1846
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.
Miguel Mora Porras 1849
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.
Saturnino Lizano Gutiérrez 1882
Próspero Fernández Oreamuno 1882-1885 Died in office.
Bernardo Soto Alfaro 1885-1890 Elected in his own right in 1886.
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 Two consecutive terms. 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
José Figueres Ferrer 1948-1949 PLN Came to power in civil war. Returned power to elected president after re-organizing the government. 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. Presidential re-election disallowed.
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 First term; 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 Presidential re-election re-instated.
Óscar Arias Sánchez 2006-2010 PLN Second term