List of Presidents of Costa Rica

President of Costa Rica
Coat of arms of Costa Rica
Incumbent Luis Guillermo Solís since 8 May 2014
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.

From 1969 to 2005, the president was barred from seeking reelection. However, in 2005, after the amendment banning reelection was thrown out by the Supreme Court, an incumbent president became eligible to run again after waiting for at least four years after leaving office.

The following table contains a list of the junta chairmen, 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 (1825–1848)

Head of State	Term	Party	Notes
Juan Mora Fernández	1825–1833	Liberal	Two consecutive terms; 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 d'état.
Braulio Carrillo Colina	1838–1842	Liberal	Second term. Deposed in a coup d'état.
Francisco Morazán	April–September 1842	Liberal	Deposed by popular uprising; executed on 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 d'état.
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 María Castro Madriz		8 May 1847	16 November 1849	Liberal	"Founder of the Republic".
Miguel Mora Porras		16 November 1849	26 November 1849	Liberal	Interim president.
Juan Mora Porras		26 November 1849	14 August 1859	Liberal	First, second and third term.
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		8 May 1866	1 November 1868	Liberal	Second term. Deposed in a coup d'état.
Jesús Jiménez Zamora		1 November 1868	27 April 1870	Military	Second term.
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		11 September 1877	6 July 1882	Liberal	Second term. 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		12 March 1885	8 May 1890	Liberal	Two consecutive terms, the first incomplete. Carlos Durán Cartín was acting president 1889–1890.
José Rodríguez Zeledón		8 May 1890	8 May 1894	Constitutional Party
Rafael Yglesias Castro		8 May 1894	8 May 1902	Civil Party	First and second term.
Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra		8 May 1902	8 May 1906	Civil Party
Cleto González Víquez		8 May 1906	8 May 1910	National Union Party	First term.
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno		8 May 1910	8 May 1914	National Republican Party	First term. Son of Jesús Jiménez Zamora.
Alfredo González Flores		8 May 1914	27 January 1917	National Republican Party	Deposed by Tinoco in a coup d'état.
Federico Tinoco Granados		27 January 1917	13 August 1919	Military/Partido Tinoquista	First and second term. Overthrown by popular uprising.
Juan Quirós Segura		13 August 1919	2 September 1919	Military/Partido Tinoquista	Previously Vice President. Forced to resign by the U.S. government.
Francisco Aguilar Barquero		2 September 1919	8 May 1920	National Union Party	Interim president.
Julio Acosta García		8 May 1920	8 May 1924	Constitutional Party
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno		8 May 1924	8 May 1928	National Republican Party	Second term.
Cleto González Víquez		8 May 1928	8 May 1932	National Union Party	Second term.
Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno		8 May 1932	8 May 1936	National Republican Party	Third term.
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		20 April 1948	8 May 1948	National Republican Party	Interim president. Former vice-president of Teodoro Picado Michalski.
José Figueres Ferrer		8 May 1948	8 November 1949	National Liberation Party	Came to power in the 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		8 May 1953	8 May 1958	National Liberation Party	Second term. 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		8 May 1970	8 May 1974	National Liberation Party	Third term. 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	Unity Coalition
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		8 May 2006	8 May 2010	National Liberation Party	Second term.
Laura Chinchilla		8 May 2010	8 May 2014	National Liberation Party	First female president of Costa Rica.
Luis Guillermo Solís		8 May 2014	Incumbent	Citizens' Action Party

Latest election

Main article: Costa Rican general election, 2014

Candidate	Party	First round		Second round
		Votes	%	Votes	%
Luis Guillermo Solís	Citizens' Action Party	629,866	30.64	1,314,327	77.81
Johnny Araya Monge	National Liberation Party	610,634	29.71	374,844	22.19
José María Villalta Florez-Estrada	Broad Front	354,479	17.25
Otto Guevara	Libertarian Movement	233,064	11.34
Rodolfo Piza	Social Christian Unity Party	123,653	6.02
José Miguel Corrales Bolaños	New Fatherland Party	30,816	1.50
Carlos Avendaño	National Restoration Party	27,691	1.35
Justo Orozco	Costa Rican Renovation Party	16,721	0.81
Óscar López	Accessibility without Exclusion	10,339	0.50
Sergio Mena	New Generation Party	5,882	0.29
Héctor Monestel	Workers' Party	4,897	0.24
Walter Muñoz	National Advance Party	4,388	0.21
José Echandi	National Integration Party	3,042	0.15
Votes cast		2,099,219	–	1,712,679	–
Blank and null votes		43,747	–	23,508	1.37
Valid votes		2,055,472	100	1,689,171	100
Registered voters/turnout		3,065,667	68.19		56.63

See also

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