Alberto Cañas Escalante facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alberto Cañas Escalante
A politician, writer, intellectual, public servant, and journalist
Deputy Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica
In office 1962–1966
Constituency	San José, Costa Rica
Deputy Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica
In office 1994–1998
Constituency	San José, Costa Rica
Personal details
Born	(1920-03-16)16 March 1920 San José, Costa Rica
Died	14 June 2014(2014-06-14) (aged 94)
Political party	Citizens' Action Party
Other political affiliations	formerly National Liberation Party
Profession	Writer and journalist

Alberto Cañas Escalante (born March 16, 1920 – died June 14, 2014) was a very important person from San José, Costa Rica. He was a politician, a writer, a thinker, a public servant, and a journalist. People remember him as one of the most important figures in Costa Rica's culture, politics, and society during the second half of the 1900s.

He held many important jobs. He was a Vice Minister and an ambassador. He was also elected as a deputy (like a representative) twice. In 1970, he became the first Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports. Alberto Cañas also worked for many newspapers. He was an editor for Diario de Costa Rica, La República, and Excelsior. He also wrote articles for La Nación, La Prensa Libre, and Semanario Universidad. He was the great-grandson of General José María Cañas Escamilla.

Early Life and Education

Alberto Cañas was born in San José, Costa Rica. His sister taught him to read when he was only three years old. He went to elementary school at the Edificio Metálico, a famous building in San José. He finished high school at Liceo de Costa Rica in 1937.

Later, he studied law at the University of Costa Rica. He became a lawyer in 1944. His final project was about how political parties work. Many future leaders of Costa Rica studied with him. After the Costa Rican Civil War, this group of smart people helped change politics in Costa Rica.

A Career in Writing and Journalism

In 1944, Cañas started working for Diario de Costa Rica, a newspaper in San José. He cared a lot about social issues. So, he joined a group called the Center for the Study of National Problems. This group looked at important issues facing the country.

In 1946, Cañas wrote a long poem called "Elegía Inmóvil." This poem made him known around the world. But soon after, he decided to focus more on politics and other types of writing.

In 1950, he started his own newspaper, La República, and was its editor. He later started another newspaper called Excelsior. In 1965, he wrote a book called "Una Casa en el Barrio Carmen." People loved this book, and it was printed many times.

Important Political Roles

Alberto Cañas served as Costa Rica's ambassador to the United Nations in 1948 and 1949. He helped write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is a very important document that lists the basic rights everyone should have.

From 1955 to 1956, he was the Vice Minister of International Relations. He was also a deputy for San José from 1962 to 1966. He belonged to the National Liberation Party then.

From 1970 to 1974, Cañas was the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports. In this role, he worked hard to help Costa Ricans develop their culture and love for reading. He was also the President of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1995.

In 2002, Cañas helped start a new political group called the Citizens' Action Party (PAC). He was the president of PAC's Political Commission.

Contributions to Arts and Education

In 1971, Cañas started the National Theater Company. He was a teacher, a supporter, and a creator in the world of theater. He also worked at the University of Costa Rica in the College of Science and Letters.

He held many other important positions too. He was President of the Journalists Association in 1952. He was also President of Editorial Costa Rica starting in 1960. He led the Writers Association from 1960 to 1961. He also served on the board of the Social Security organization in 1989. Since 1967, Cañas was a leader in the Language Academy of Costa Rica. This was a job he held for the rest of his life.

Later Years and Legacy

Alberto Cañas was a permanent member of the Costa Rican Academy of Language. He also had a radio show called "Así es la cosa" (Here's the Thing). He wrote a newspaper column called "Chisporroteos" (Crackles) for over forty years. This made him one of Costa Rica's most published writers. He also taught at the University of Costa Rica in the school of Social Sciences.

Alberto Cañas passed away on June 14, 2014, at the age of 94. He had complications after surgery.

Awards and Honors

Alberto Cañas received many awards for his work:

• In 1965, he won the "Premio Aquileo Echeverría de Cuento" (Aquileo Echeverría Story Prize) for his book "Una Casa en el Barrio Carmen."
• In 1976, he won the Magón National Prize for Culture. This is one of Costa Rica's highest cultural awards.
• In 1964, he won the Premio García Monge (García Monge Prize) for helping to promote culture.
• He received an honorary degree from the State Correspondence University.
• He was honored as "Comendador de la Orden de Liberación de España" (Commander of the Order of Spanish Liberation) in 1951.
• He became a member of the Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1957.
• He received the Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana (Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity) in 1959.
• In 2012, he won the Pío Víquez Prize for Journalism for his long career as a journalist.

Selection of Books

• "OCHENTA AÑOS NO ES NADA." Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica, 2006
• "UVIETA." REI Centroamérica, 1999
• "FELIZ AÑO, CHAVES CHAVES." Editorial Cuarto Poder, Buenos Aires, 1975
• "LA EXTERMINACION DE LOS POBRES." Editorial Costa Rica, 1974
• "LA SEGUA Y OTRAS PIEZAS." Educa, San José, 1974
• "EN AGOSTO HIZO DOS AÑOS." Editorial Costa Rica, 1968
• "AQUÍ Y AHORA." Editorial Costa Rica, 1965
• "EL LUTO ROBADO." Editorial Costa Rica, 1963
• "LOS 8 AÑOS." Editorial Liberación Nacional, 1955
• "ELEGÍA INMOVIL." Editorial El Cuervo, 1946