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 61) 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 politician and economist from Costa Rica. She was 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 be a vice president in Costa Rica and in Latin America.

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

She was also appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. She held this important job from May 8 to December 10, 2018.

Campbell helped create the International Day for People of African Descent. This day was officially recognized by the United Nations General Assembly. She also helped start and led the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. This group works to support people of African descent around the world. She is also involved with the "Respect. No to Racism" campaign.

Early Life & Education

Epsy Campbell Barr was born in San José in 1963. Her parents, Shirley Barr Aird and Luis Campbell Patterson, lived in San Francisco de Dos Ríos. She is the fourth of seven children in her family. Her sister, Shirley Campbell Barr, is a well-known poet. Epsy was named after her grandmother, who moved to Costa Rica from Jamaica as a child. Her grandparents, who were Afro-Costa Rican, came to the country in the early 1900s. They helped build Costa Rica's first railroads.

Epsy Campbell got married young and became a mother while still in college. She has two daughters named Narda and Tanisha.

She went to primary school at Las Gravilias and Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno School. She finished there in 1975. For high school, she attended Liceo Franco Costarricense and Colegio Superior de Señoritas. She also studied flute and saxophone in the Youth Symphony Orchestra from 1976 to 1983.

Epsy Campbell started her university studies at the University of Costa Rica. Later, she moved to the campus in Limón Province, where she studied and worked at the same time. She lived in the Caribbean region for ten years. Then, she returned to San José and earned a degree in economics from the Latin University of Costa Rica in 1998. In 2008, she received a master's degree in Development Cooperation from a Spanish foundation. She is a researcher and activist who works for the rights of women and people of African descent. She became involved in politics because she wanted to be a social activist.

She was the president of the Citizens' Action Party (PAC) from 2005 to 2009. She also served as a representative for the PAC in the national legislature from 2002 to 2006. From 2003 to 2005, she led her party's group in parliament. In 2006, she ran for vice-president.

Working with Organizations

Epsy Campbell has led several important groups. These include the Center for Women of African Descent and the Alliance of Leaders of African descent in Latin America and the Caribbean. She also led the Black Parliament of the Americas.

She has attended many international conferences and meetings. For example, she went to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. She also attended the III World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. She was at the World Conference on the Environment, Eco 92, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She also participated in the First Meeting of Black Women of Latin America and the Caribbean in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

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

Political Career

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

After being a representative for four years and running for vice president in 2006, Campbell decided to try for the PAC's presidential nomination. She traveled across the country, sharing her ideas about fighting corruption with PAC voters. Three other candidates also wanted to represent PAC in the 2014 national elections. These were Juan Carlos Mendoza, Luis Guillermo Solís, and Ronald Solís Bolaños. In February 2013, she was the most popular opposition candidate. However, she later stepped out of the race to support Luis Guillermo Solís. Solís then became Costa Rica's president-elect in March 2014.

In March 2014, Campbell won a position as a representative in San Jose, Costa Rica. She ran as a PAC candidate. When Solís became the president-elect, he considered Campbell 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 representative, Campbell mainly focused on improving the country's tax system. She wanted taxes to be fair and public spending to be efficient. In January 2016, she asked other representatives to discuss how to make public finances stable.

She supported important changes, like removing representatives who did not do their job honestly. She also proposed getting rid of the National Intelligence and Security Directorate (DIS). She worked on a law to prevent and punish all forms of discrimination and racism. She also pushed for a bill to stop illegal lotteries.

As a member of the Commission on Control of Income and Public Spending, she investigated various issues. She looked into how rates were set by the Public Services Authority. She also investigated why funds from an international loan for a project in Limón were not used. She served on other important groups too, like the Human Rights, International Relations, and Women's commissions.

As Vice President

Campbell first planned to run for president in the 2018 election. But she later decided not to on March 27, 2017. Instead, Carlos Alvarado Quesada chose her as one of his two running mates for vice president. The other running mate was Marvin Rodríguez. Campbell spoke out against comments made by another candidate that were unfair to women in the justice system. Alvarado Quesada won the election, and Campbell became the first vice-president of African descent in 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." This plan helped women gain more economic power and leadership roles. She also supported many projects that helped people of African descent. One example is the official declaration of the International Day of Afro-descendants.

Polls 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 clear goals for Costa Rica's foreign policy for the first time. These goals included diplomacy for the environment and climate change. She also focused on diplomacy for new ideas, education, and social fairness. Other goals were diplomacy for peace, democracy, and fighting corruption. She also created a special council to oversee these goals and promote economic diplomacy.

She visited countries like Panama, Colombia, Italy, the Vatican, and Spain. These visits helped strengthen Costa Rica's relationships with these nations. She also shared Costa Rica's views on the problems in Nicaragua and Venezuela at international meetings.

During her time as Chancellor, the situation in Nicaragua was a big concern. This was because many people from Nicaragua were moving to Costa Rica. Campbell called for an end to violence against protesters and the release of people who were unfairly arrested. She asked for respect for basic human rights, like freedom of speech. She also suggested creating an international group to investigate the situation.

Costa Rica, along with 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 there. Costa Rica also called for international groups to help solve the crisis in Venezuela. It urged an end to violence and the release of political prisoners.

As Chancellor, Campbell also introduced "country profiles." These helped identify opportunities for Costa Rican diplomats abroad. For the first time, ambassadors had to publicly share their work plans before going to their assigned countries. She also looked into making it easier for Chinese citizens to get visas to Costa Rica.

She made sure that money for diplomatic offices abroad was spent wisely. New rules were put in place for hiring staff to avoid problems and save public money. A new computer system was also started to help manage budgets and make sure embassies were accountable.

She also worked to improve the diplomatic career path. Tests and interviews were held for new diplomats. Experienced diplomats were also given opportunities to work in different countries. She worked to make sure that promotions in the Foreign Service were fair and professional.

International Day for People of African Descent

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

In August 1920, the First International Convention of the Black Peoples of the World took place in New York. During this meeting, led by Marcus Garvey, a special declaration was made. Article 53 of this declaration said that August 31 each year would be an international day to celebrate black peoples.

According to Campbell, the goal of creating this International Day was to honor the struggles and hopes of people of African descent. It also aimed to highlight this important event, 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 ten members for the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. This group advises the UN Human Rights Council. It is made up of ten 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 group are chosen based on different regions of the world. Five members are elected by the United Nations General Assembly. The other five are chosen by organizations that represent people of African descent. These experts work individually for three years and can be chosen again.

Campbell strongly supported the idea of creating this forum. She spoke to the General Assembly and in many meetings about how important it was to create this group. Its purpose is to improve the lives of people of African descent all over the world.

Awards & Recognition

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