Epsy Campbell Barr facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Epsy Campbell Barr
Campbell Barr in 2019
First Vice-President of Costa Rica
In office 8 May 2018 – 8 May 2022 Serving with Marvin Rodríguez Cordero
President	Carlos Alvarado
Preceded by	Helio Fallas Venegas
Succeeded by	Stephan Brunner
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 8 May 2018 – 11 December 2018
President	Carlos Alvarado
Preceded by	Manuel González Sanz
Succeeded by	Lorena Aguilar Revelo (Acting)
Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica
In office 1 May 2014 – 30 April 2018
Preceded by	Viviana Martín Salazar
Succeeded by	Silvia Hernández Sánchez
Constituency	San José (2nd Office)
In office 1 May 2002 – 30 April 2006
Preceded by	Sonia Picado Sotela
Succeeded by	Alberto Salom Echeverría
Constituency	San José (9th Office)
Personal details
Born	(1963-07-04) 4 July 1963 (age 62) San José, Costa Rica
Political party	Citizens' Action Party
Relations	Shirley Campbell Barr (sister)
Profession	Economist, human rights activist

Epsy Alejandra Campbell Barr (born on July 4, 1963) is a well-known politician and economist from Costa Rica. She served as the Vice-President of Costa Rica from May 8, 2018, to May 8, 2022. She made history as the first woman of African descent to become Vice-President in Costa Rica and in all of Latin America.

Epsy Campbell Barr was one of the people who helped start the Citizens' Action Party (PAC). She also ran for president in 2010 and 2014. She was a representative, called a deputy, for San José Province in the Legislative Assembly from 2002 to 2006 and again from 2014 to 2018.

From May 8 to December 10, 2018, Campbell also held the important role of Minister of Foreign Affairs. She was a key person in getting the International Day for People of African Descent recognized by the United Nations General Assembly. She also helped create and led the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent from 2022 to 2024. She is a founder of the Global Coalition Against Systemic Racism and for Reparations and became president of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights in October 2024. She is also the executive president of the "Respect. No to Racism" campaign.

Early Life and Education

Epsy Campbell went to secondary school at Liceo Franco Costarricense. She then graduated from Colegio Superior de Señoritas in 1980. She studied business administration, sociology, and political science at the University of Costa Rica. She also studied economics at the Latin University of Costa Rica. Later, she earned master's degrees in management and political decision from a program in Madrid, Spain. She also has a master's in international cooperation for development from a foundation in Madrid. In 2021, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Brenau.

Campbell is a researcher and an activist for human rights. She focuses on topics like women's rights, indigenous peoples, people of African descent, and the environment. She worked as a coordinator for groups like the Network of Afro-Latin American and Afro-Caribbean Women. She was also a founding member of the Center for Afro-Costa Rican Women. She has worked as a consultant on topics like employment, women's human rights, and fighting against racism and discrimination. She is also a member of the Black Parliament of the Americas.

In Costa Rica, Campbell was very important in getting the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Related Forms of Intolerance approved in 2016. She also helped prepare a report on human development for Latin America and the Caribbean. This report was coordinated by the United Nations Development Program. She has led more than 15 international research projects and written 20 publications about social inclusion.

Family Background

Epsy Campbell's family came from Jamaica. She was named after her grandmother, Epsy, who she says was her biggest inspiration. In a book called "Luchadoras," she shared that her first fights for fairness happened at home. She grew up in a large family with five sisters and two brothers.

As far back as I can remember, the distribution of responsibilities at home seemed unfair to me. According to Mom, one of the first phrases I learned was 'It's not fair!' It's not fair that the sisters wash the dishes and they don't; it's not fair that while they only clean the yard, we have to help in the kitchen; it's not fair that we make the beds and they don't. It's not fair! It's not fair!

Her sister Sasha is a well-known singer, journalist, and TV presenter. Her sister Shirley is an anthropologist, activist, and Afro-Costa Rican poet. Shirley wrote the famous poem "Rotundamente negra," which is a symbol for Afro-descendant women in Latin America. Her sister Doris is an actress, dancer, and dance instructor. Her other siblings, Narda, Luis, and Gustavo Campbell, prefer to stay out of the public eye.

Since 2015, Campbell has been married to Berny Venegas Durán, a businessman from Costa Rica.

Organizations and Global Work

Epsy Campbell has led several important organizations. These include the Center for Women of African Descent and the Alliance of Leaders of African descent in Latin America and the Caribbean. She has also been part of the Black Parliament of the Americas. She has attended many international conferences and meetings. These include the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, and the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. She also attended the World Conference on the Environment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

She was also the coordinator for the Women's Forum for Central American Integration. This group is part of the Network of Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Women. She helped organize the Second Meeting of Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Women in San Jose, Costa Rica. Campbell is also a member of The Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank in Washington D.C. She has written books and articles on topics like democracy, inclusion, and the political and economic involvement of women and people of African descent. She is an expert on social development, fairness, and the political participation of women and people of African descent.

Political Career

Campbell was a deputy for the Citizen Action Party from 2002 to 2006. During this time, she served as a leader for the party from 2003 to 2006. She was also the party's president from 2005 to 2009.

After being a deputy for four years and running for vice president in 2006, Campbell decided to seek the nomination of the PAC for president. She traveled across the country, sharing her message about fighting corruption and being responsible. In February 2013, she was a very popular opposition candidate. However, she later stepped out of the race to support Luis Guillermo Solís, who became Costa Rica's president in March 2014.

In March 2014, Campbell won a deputy position in San Jose, Costa Rica as a PAC candidate. When Solís became the president-elect, he considered Campbell as a choice for President of the Legislative Assembly. However, Henry Mora Jiménez became the President of the Legislative Assembly in May 2014.

As a Congresswoman

During her time as a deputy, Campbell mainly focused on making the country's financial system fairer. She wanted to make sure that the tax system was progressive and that public money was spent wisely. She also pushed for a constitutional change to remove deputies who did not act honestly. She also supported laws to prevent all forms of discrimination, racism, and intolerance. She also worked on a bill to stop illegal lotteries and a law against street harassment.

As a member of the Commission on Control of Income and Public Spending, she investigated various issues. These included how public service rates were set and why funds from an international loan for a project in Limón were not used. She also looked into the government's plan to buy a building for a "Government City." She also served on commissions dealing with Human Rights, International Relations, Economic Affairs, and Women's issues.

As Vice President

Campbell first planned to run in the PAC presidential primary for the 2018 election. However, she withdrew on March 27, 2017. Later, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, who became the presidential nominee, chose her as one of his two running mates, along with Marvin Rodríguez. Alvarado Quesada eventually won the election, and Campbell became the first Afro-descendant vice-president of Costa Rica.

During her time as Vice President, she led a program called "Northern Zone Development Strip." This program aimed to help reduce inequalities in the border area with Nicaragua. She was also in charge of the "National Plan for Economic Empowerment and Leadership of Women." She also supported many initiatives that helped people of African descent, such as the declaration of the International Day of Afro-descendants.

Polls conducted by private companies and the University of Costa Rica showed that she was very popular until 2018. She was seen as "one of the most influential figures in Costa Rican politics" since 2002.

As Chancellor

After being elected Vice President with Carlos Alvarado Quesada, Campbell also became the Minister of Foreign Relations (MREC) on May 8, 2018. She was the first woman to hold this important position in Costa Rica.

Campbell set up clear goals for Costa Rica's foreign policy for the first time. These goals included diplomacy for the environment and climate change, for innovation and education, for social inclusion and gender equality, and for peace and democracy. She also created a special council to oversee these goals and promote economic diplomacy.

She made official visits to countries like Panama, Colombia, Italy, the Vatican, and Spain to strengthen relationships. She also shared Costa Rica's views on the crises in Nicaragua and Venezuela at international meetings.

During her time as Chancellor, the crisis in Nicaragua was a major concern because of its impact on Costa Rica, especially with people moving across the border. Campbell called for an end to the repression against protesters and for human rights to be respected. She also suggested creating an international investigation to follow up on recommendations.

Costa Rica, like the Lima Group, did not recognize the results of the 2018 election in Venezuela. The country kept a lower-level diplomat instead of an ambassador. Costa Rica urged an end to violence, the release of political prisoners, and a peaceful solution to the conflict in Venezuela.

While Campbell was Chancellor, "country profiles" were introduced. These helped identify opportunities for diplomatic offices abroad. Ambassadors were also required to present a public work plan before going to their assigned countries. A study was also done to make it easier for Chinese citizens to get visas to Costa Rica.

New rules were put in place for spending money in offices abroad and for hiring staff. A new computer system was also implemented to help manage finances and make embassies more accountable.

For diplomatic careers, competitive exams continued, and 27 people became eligible for positions. A competition was held for diplomats to rotate to different missions abroad. A competition was also opened for director positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to improve professionalism.

Other Important Roles

Campbell has been involved in many national and international projects. She worked as a consultant for a project on "Public Inclusion Policies for Women and Afro-descendant Communities in the Americas and the Caribbean" from 2015 to 2017.

She also helped prepare the "Regional Human Development Report (RHDR) for Latin America and the Caribbean: Multidimensional Progress" in 2016. This report was coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She also coordinated events like the "V Meeting of Afro-descendant Parliamentarians and Political Leaders of the Americas and the Caribbean 2016."

Besides being a professor at the University of Costa Rica, she led projects analyzing the inclusion of Afro-descendants in the Americas. She also worked as an international consultant for UNDP on intercultural gender democracy in 2011. She also consulted for UNICEF on Afro-descendants from 2006-2007 and 2008–2011.

International Day for People of African Descent

Epsy Campbell was the main person behind the idea for the International Day for People of African Descent. The United Nations General Assembly officially declared this day through Resolution 75/170 on December 16, 2020.

This idea has roots in history. In August 1920, the First International Convention of the Black Peoples of the World was held in New York. During this meeting, led by Marcus Garvey, the Declaration of the Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World was adopted. Article 53 of this declaration stated that August 31 each year should be an international day to celebrate black peoples.

Campbell explained that the goal of proclaiming the International Day for People of African Descent was to honor the struggles and hopes of these communities. It also aimed to highlight this important milestone, especially with the growing movement for racial justice and equality, like the Black Lives Matter movement.

United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

On December 21, 2021, the United Nations General Assembly chose Campbell as one of the ten members of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. This forum advises the UN Human Rights Council. It is made up of ten independent experts who know a lot about issues affecting people of African descent and human rights. These experts work voluntarily and are not paid by the United Nations.

The members of this advisory group are chosen based on geography. Five members are elected by the United Nations General Assembly. The other five are chosen by organizations representing people of African descent. These experts work individually, and their terms last three years. They can also be re-elected.

The idea to create this forum came after Campbell spoke to the General Assembly and in many meetings. She stressed how important it was to create this body to improve the lives of people of African descent around the world.

Awards and Recognition

Epsy Campbell Barr has received several awards for her work:

• "Powerful Women," 2019, by Forbes magazine.
• "Most Influential Women in the Region," 2019, by Strategy and Business Magazine.
• "Leadership Award," 2019, by African Renaissance and Diaspora Network.
• "Most Influential Afro-descendant Leaders in the World," 2019, by Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD).
• "Youth Champion," 2019, by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), for the "Generation Unlimited" strategy.
• "Distinguished Visitor of Montevideo," 2021, by Montevideo City Hall.
• "Key to the City of Panama" and "Guest of Honor of the Panama District," 2018.

See also

In Spanish: Epsy Campbell Barr para niños