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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.
Liberal Conservative
| No. | Head of State | Portrait | Term of Office | Political Affiliation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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) |
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|
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) |
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|
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) |
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|
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) |
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|
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) |
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|
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) |
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|
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) |
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|
8 May 2014 | 8 May 2018 | Citizens' Action | 2014 | |
| 48 | Carlos Alvarado Quesada (born 1980) |
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|
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) |
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|
8 May 2022 | Incumbent (Term ends on 8 May 2026) |
Social Democratic Progress | 2022 | Incumbent |
