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Rafael Angel Calderon GuardiaPolitician, President of Costa Rica 1940 – 1944
Date of Birth: 10.03.1900
Country:  Costa Rica |
Biography of Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia
Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia was a Costa Rican political figure and the president of Costa Rica from 1940 to 1944. He was born on March 10, 1900, in San Jose. He received his secondary education in state schools in San Jose and continued his studies in Europe at the University of Leuven and later at the University of Brussels, where he graduated in 1927.
After returning to Costa Rica, Calderon Guardia practiced medicine in San Jose and eventually became the dean of the Medical Faculty at the National University of Costa Rica. In 1935-1937, he was elected Vice President of the Costa Rican Congress, and from 1938 to 1939, he served as its President. From 1940 to 1944, he held the position of President of the country.
During his presidency, Calderon Guardia implemented the "new social policy," which aimed to protect the rights of workers and small landowners. He introduced a labor code and added a chapter on "Social Guarantees" to the constitution, granting the population the right to form trade unions, go on strike, and have social insurance.
In 1948, Calderon Guardia ran for a second presidential term but was defeated. Alleging electoral fraud, he demanded that the Congress void the election results. Although the results were annulled, in December 1948, a junta led by temporary President Jose Figueres accused Calderon Guardia of plotting a coup. He was arrested in March 1949 and fled to Mexico in 1951.
In 1955, Calderon Guardia attempted to organize an invasion of Costa Rica with the help of Nicaraguan dictator Somoza. In the 1958 presidential elections, he led the National Republican Party and achieved significant success, allowing the controversial former president to return to his homeland.
In 1966, Calderon Guardia was appointed as Costa Rica's ambassador to Mexico. He passed away in San Jose on June 9, 1970.
