José Figueres Ferrer

José María Hipólito Figueres Ferrer ( born September 25, 1906 in San Ramon, † June 8, 1990 in San José ) was a Costa Rican politician. He was the founder of the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN). From May 1948 to November 1949, 1953-1958 and 1970-1974 he was president of his home country. He is regarded as one of the most important politicians in the history of Costa Rica.

Life

Ferrer was born as the eldest of four children of a doctor and a teacher who had emigrated from the Spanish region of Catalonia to Costa Rica. From 1924 to 1928 he studied in Boston, United States. In Costa Rica, he acquired a farm where he grew coffee and hemp.

From 1940 he led with his lawyer Alberto Marten and his passenger, the deputy Francisco José Orlich Bolmarcich, political discussions. On July 8, 1942 one of these discussions live on Radio América Latina was transferred. In the discussion, Rafael Ángel Calderón government corruption Guardia was named. The show was interrupted by the government. Orlich enjoyed as a member of parliament immunity. Figueres was arrested and deported to Mexico on July 11, 1942. From the Centro de Estudios de los Problemas Nacionales and the Acción Demócrata the Partido Social Demócrata was formed in 1944, which should end the coalition of Rerum Novarum oriented Partido Nacional Republicano and the Vanguardia Popular.

Luis Rafael de la Trinidad Otilio Ulate Blanco ran against Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia in the presidential election on February 8, 1948. Selection Authority Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Costa Rica declared as Ulate selected candidates. Dominated by the outgoing government coalition and confirmed by the choice, however, Parliament passed no law Ulate appointed as President, but canceled the election because of alleged election fraud on March 1, 1948.

Junta de la Segunda República Fundadora

Santos Leon Herrera handed power to a junta, which was chaired Figueres and Ulate belonged. This junta broke the existing constitution, as it dissolved the previous ruling coalition dominated by Parliament and a Constitutional Assembly convened, which drafted the Constitution still valid today. Since the army to remain neutral in the Civil War, it was abolished in the Constitution. The junta nationalized banks. She ruled 18 months and finally adopted the law, which was explained by Ulate president.

From 1953 to 1958, and from 1970 to 1974 acted Figueres founded in 1951 for the social democratic Partido Liberación Nacional as president. He tried in strengthening through various measures, the private sector and the middle class of the country. In addition, he turned against the proliferation of right-wing military dictatorships in several Latin American countries from the 1960s, and criticized their support of the United States. On May 17, 1957, a company initiated by Rafael Trujillo assassination failed to Figueres. In May 1959 Figueres supported logistically by the guerrillas Olama and Molle Jones, under the leadership of Pedro Joaquín Chamorro for the overthrow of the Somoza family in Nicaragua.

Ferrer is regarded as a pioneer and father of modern democracy in Costa Rica as well as one of the most influential politicians in the country's history. The fact that Costa Rica was in contrast to most other countries in Central and South American dictatorships, poverty and long-lasting civil wars largely spared and now one of the wealthiest and most politically stable countries in Latin America is significantly attributed to the effects of the reforms during his reign. His son, José María Figueres officiated from 1994 to 1998 also as president of Costa Rica.