Abel Pacheco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abel Pacheco de La Espriella
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Pacheco in 2005
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| 44th President of Costa Rica | |
| In office 8 May 2002 – 8 May 2006 |
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| Vice President | Lineth Saborío Chaverri Luis Fishman Zonzinski |
| Preceded by | Miguel Ángel Rodríguez |
| Succeeded by | Óscar Arias |
| Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica | |
| In office 1 May 1998 – 30 April 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Alberto Cañas Escalante |
| Succeeded by | Édgar Mohs Villalta |
| Constituency | San José (1st Office) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 December 1933 San José, Costa Rica |
| Political party | PUSC |
| Spouses | Elsa María Muñoz Batha (?–?) Leila Rodríguez Stahl
(m. 1975) |
| Profession | Psychiatrist |
Abel Pacheco de la Espriella (
i/əˈbɛl pəˈtʃeɪkoʊ/ ə-BEL--_-pə-CHAY-koh; born 22 December 1933) was the president of Costa Rica from 2002 to 2006. He belonged to the Social Christian Unity Party. He was elected to continue economic changes and manage government spending. He won the election in a second round of voting in April 2002.
Contents
About Abel Pacheco
His Early Life and Family
Abel Pacheco was born on December 22, 1933. He had five children with his first wife, Elsa María Muñoz Batha. Their children are Abel, Elsa, Yolanda, Sergio, and Valeria. Later, in 1975, Pacheco married Leila Rodríguez Stahl. Leila was a former Miss Costa Rica. They have one son together, named Fabian.
His Career Path
Abel Pacheco is a medical doctor. He studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He then became a psychiatrist after studying at Louisiana State University.
During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Pacheco was a popular TV presenter in Costa Rica. He hosted short programs that many people enjoyed. At the same time, he taught at the University of Costa Rica. He also ran his own clothing store in downtown San José. Besides his medical and TV work, he wrote several novels and popular songs.
On February 1, 1998, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica. This is Costa Rica's main law-making body. He represented the province of San José for his party, the PUSC.
Before the 2002 presidential election, his party chose him as their candidate. He won with a large majority of votes from party members. This showed that many regular party members supported him.
In the first round of the election, Pacheco received 38.6% of the votes. This was just under the 40% needed to win right away. So, a second round of voting was held. This was the first time Costa Rica used a second round for a presidential election. On April 7, 2002, Pacheco won with 58% of the votes. He defeated Rolando Araya from the National Liberation Party.
His Books and Awards
Abel Pacheco has written many books. These include both fiction stories and non-fiction works. Some of his books are "Paso de tropa" (1969) and "Más abajo de la piel" (1972).
His writings have been translated into more than 20 languages. This shows how important his work is to Costa Rican culture. He received the "Citizen of the World" award for his contributions to culture and literature.
Honours and Recognition
Abel Pacheco has received several awards for his work.
- He was recognized by the Two Sicilian Royal Family.
- He received the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles from Monaco in 2003.
- He has also received international awards for his literature.
- He earned the "Citizen of the World" award for his contributions to culture and arts.
- He won the National Literature Prize for his book "Mas abajo de la piel."
- He has received awards for his active work in social responsibility.
See also
In Spanish: Abel Pacheco de la Espriella para niños
