List of Presidents of Costa Rica

President of Costa Rica
Coat of arms of Costa Rica
Incumbent Laura Chinchilla since 8 May 2010
Residence	Casa Presidencial, Costa Rica
Term length	Four years, not eligible for re-election immediately
Inaugural holder	José Castro Madriz
Formation	8 May 1847
Website	President of Costa Rica

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The President of Costa Rica is the head of state and 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. 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.

The following table contains a list of the junta chairmen, presidents and heads of state of Costa Rica since Central American independence from Spain and Mexico. From 1824 to 1838 Costa Rica was a state within the United States of Central America; since then it has been an independent nation.

Heads of State of Costa Rica (1825-1848)

Name	Term	Party	Notes
Juan Mora Fernández	1825–1833	Liberal	Two successive periods; re-elected in 1829.
José Rafael Gallegos	1833–1835	Conservative	Resigned, Manuel Fernández Chacón and Nicolás Ulloa Soto followed as acting Heads of State.
Braulio Carrillo Colina	1835–1837	Liberal	First term.
Juan Mora Fernández	March–April 1837	Liberal	Provisional
Manuel Aguilar Chacón	1837–1838	Liberal	Deposed in a coup.
Braulio Carrillo Colina	1838–1842	Liberal	Second term, deposed in a coup.
Francisco Morazán	April–September 1842	Liberal	Deposed by popular uprising; executed 15 September 1842.
António Pinto Soares	September 1842	Liberal	Came to power in popular uprising, and quickly resigned.
José María Alfaro Zamora	1842–1844	Liberal	First term. Provisional.
Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla	November–December 1844	Liberal	Deposed in a coup.
José Rafael Gallegos	1845–1846	Conservative
José María Alfaro Zamora	1846–1847	Liberal	Second term.
José Castro Madriz	1847–1848	Liberal

Presidents of Costa Rica (1848-Present)

President		Took office	Left office	Party	Notes
José Castro Madriz		8 May 1847	16 November 1849	Liberal	"Founder of the Republic".
Miguel Mora Porras (interim president)		16 November 1849	26 November 1849	Liberal
Juan Mora Porras (first, second and third term)		26 November 1849	14 August 1859	Liberal
José María Montealegre Fernández		14 August 1859	8 May 1863	Liberal	Provisional 1859-1860.
Jesús Jiménez Zamora		8 May 1863	8 May 1866	Liberal
José Castro Madriz (second term)		8 May 1866	1 November 1868	Liberal	Deposed in a coup d'état.
Jesús Jiménez Zamora (second term)		1 November 1868	27 April 1870	Military
Bruno Carranza Ramírez		27 April 1870	8 August 1870	Liberal	Deposed in a coup d'état.
Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez		10 August 1870	8 May 1876	Liberal	Provisional 1870-1872.
Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz		8 May 1876	30 July 1876	Liberal	Deposed in a coup d'état.
Vicente Herrera Zeledón		30 July 1876	11 September 1877	Conservative
Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez (second term)		11 September 1877	6 July 1882	Liberal	Died in office.
Saturnino Lizano Gutiérrez		6 July 1882	20 July 1882	Liberal	Acting president.
Próspero Fernández Oreamuno		20 July 1882	12 March 1885	Liberal	Died in office.
Bernardo Soto Alfaro (two consecutive terms, the first incomplete)		12 March 1885	8 May 1890	Liberal	Carlos Durán Cartín was acting president 1889-1890.
José Rodríguez Zeledón		8 May 1890	8 May 1894	Constitutional Party
Rafael Yglesias Castro (first and second term)		8 May 1894	8 May 1902	Civil Party
Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra		8 May 1902	8 May 1906	Civil Party
Cleto González Víquez (first term)		8 May 1906	8 May 1910	National Union Party
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (first term)		8 May 1910	8 May 1914	National Republican Party	Son of Jesús Jiménez Zamora
Alfredo González Flores		8 May 1914	27 January 1917	National Republican Party	Deposed by Tinoco in a coup.
Federico Tinoco Granados (first and second term)		27 January 1917	13 August 1919	Military/Partido Tinoquista	Overthrown by popular uprising.
Juan Quirós Segura (previously Vice President)		13 August 1919	2 September 1919	Military/Partido Tinoquista	Forced to resign by the U.S. government.
Francisco Aguilar Barquero (interim president)		2 September 1919	8 May 1920	National Union Party
Julio Acosta García		8 May 1920	8 May 1924	Constitutional Party
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (second term)		8 May 1924	8 May 1928	National Republican Party
Cleto González Víquez (second term)		8 May 1928	8 May 1932	National Union Party
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (third term)		8 May 1932	8 May 1936	National Republican Party
León Cortés Castro		8 May 1936	8 May 1940	National Republican Party
Rafael Calderón Guardia		8 May 1940	8 May 1944	National Republican Party
Teodoro Picado Michalski		8 May 1944	8 May 1948	National Republican Party
Santos León Herrera (interim president)		20 April 1948	8 May 1948	National Republican Party	Former vice-president of Teodoro Picado Michalski.
José Figueres Ferrer		8 May 1948	8 November 1949	National Liberation Party	Came to power in civil war. Returned power to elected president after re-organizing the government.
Otilio Ulate Blanco		7 November 1949	8 May 1953	National Union Party
José Figueres Ferrer (second term)		8 May 1953	8 May 1958	National Liberation Party	Presidential re-election disallowed.
Mario Echandi Jiménez		8 May 1958	8 May 1962	National Unification Party
Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich		8 May 1962	8 May 1966	National Liberation Party
José Trejos Fernández		8 May 1966	8 May 1970	National Unification Party
José Figueres Ferrer (third term)		8 May 1970	8 May 1974	National Liberation Party	Presidential re-election disallowed.
Daniel Oduber Quirós		8 May 1974	8 May 1978	National Liberation Party
Rodrigo Carazo Odio		8 May 1978	8 May 1982	Social Christian Unity Party
Luis Monge Álvarez		8 May 1982	8 May 1986	National Liberation Party
Óscar Arias		8 May 1986	8 May 1990	National Liberation Party	Nobel Peace Prize winner 1987.
Rafael Calderón Fournier		8 May 1990	8 May 1994	Social Christian Unity Party	Son of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia.
José Figueres Olsen		8 May 1994	8 May 1998	National Liberation Party	Son of José Figueres Ferrer.
Miguel Rodríguez Echeverría		8 May 1998	8 May 2002	Social Christian Unity Party
Abel Pacheco de la Espriella		8 May 2002	8 May 2006	Social Christian Unity Party	Presidential re-election re-instated.
Óscar Arias (second term)		8 May 2006	8 May 2010	National Liberation Party
Laura Chinchilla		8 May 2010	Incumbent	National Liberation Party	First female president (presidenta) of Costa Rica.

Latest election

 Summary of the 7 February 2010 Costa Rican presidential election results

Candidates – Parties	Votes	%
Laura Chinchilla – National Liberation Party	863,803	46.78
Ottón Solís – Citizens' Action Party	464,454	25.15
Otto Guevara – Libertarian Movement Party	384,540	20.83
Luis Fishman – Social Christian Unity Party	71,330	3.86
Óscar López – Access without Exclusion	35,215	1.91
Mayra González – Costa Rican Renovation Party	13,376	0.72
Eugenio Trejos – Broad Front	6,822	0.37
Rolando Araya – Patriotic Alliance Party*	3,795	0.21
Walter Muñoz – National Integration Party*	3,198	0.17
Total (turnout 69.14%)	1,846,533	100.00
* Candidacy withdrawn in favour of Ottón Solís on 15 January 2010. Source: TSE

See also

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