José María Figueres facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José María Figueres
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Figueres in 2012
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| 42nd President of Costa Rica | |
| In office 8 May 1994 – 8 May 1998 |
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| Vice President | Rodrigo Oreamuno Blanco Rebeca Grynspan |
| Preceded by | Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier |
| Succeeded by | Miguel Ángel Rodríguez |
| CEO and Director of the World Economic Forum | |
| In office 2000–2004 |
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| Minister of Agriculture | |
| In office 1989–1990 |
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| President | Óscar Arias Sánchez |
| Preceded by | Antonio Álvarez Desanti |
| Succeeded by | Juan Rafael Lizano Sáenz |
| Minister of Foreign Trade | |
| In office 1986–1988 |
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| President | Óscar Arias Sánchez |
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Luis Diego Escalante Vargas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 December 1954 San José, Costa Rica |
| Political party | PLN |
| Spouses | Josette Altmann Borbón (div.) Cinthya Geovanna Berrocal Quirós |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | José Figueres Ferrer Karen Olsen Beck |
| Alma mater | United States Military Academy (BS) Harvard University (MPA) |
| Profession | Businessman and politician |
| Signature |  |
José María Figueres Olsen (born December 24, 1954) is a businessman and politician from Costa Rica. He served as the President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998. He was also a candidate for president in the 2022 election.
Figueres started his career as an engineer, working in farming businesses. After about ten years, he began working for the government. He became the Minister of Foreign Trade and then the Minister of Agriculture.
In 1994, he was elected President of Costa Rica. He was the youngest elected president in the 20th century for the country. After his presidency ended in 1998, he became involved in important global topics. These include climate change, sustainable development, and new technologies.
In 2000, Figueres joined the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. This is a group that brings together world leaders to discuss global issues. He later became the CEO of the Forum. Since 2010, he has been the Chairman of the Carbon War Room. This group works to help the world move towards a low-carbon economy.
About José María Figueres
José María Figueres is the son of José Figueres Ferrer. His father, often called Don Pepe, was President of Costa Rica three times. His mother, Karen Olsen Beck, was a social worker from Denmark who became a Costa Rican citizen. She later served as an Ambassador and a Member of Congress.
Figueres grew up in La Lucha, a farm community started by his father. He went to public school there. Later, he studied at schools in San José.
José María has three younger siblings: Christiana Figueres, Mariano, and Kirsten. His sister, Christiana, was very important in international climate change talks. From his father's first marriage, he also has an older brother, Marti, and a sister, Muni. Muni Figueres has also held many public jobs.
José María has two children, José María and Eugenia, from his first marriage to Josette Altmann Borbón. He is now married to Cinthya Berrocal Quirós.
His Education and Learning
Figueres studied at the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point. He graduated in 1979 with a degree in Engineering. While at West Point, he also completed the U.S. Army's Ranger Training Course in 1975. He was recognized as a top graduate in that course.
Later, he continued his studies at Harvard University. In 1991, he earned a master's degree in Public Administration. This degree helps people learn how to manage public organizations and government.
His Work in Business
After finishing his studies at West Point, Figueres returned to Costa Rica. He helped to fix his family's business, Sociedad Agroindustrial San Cristobal (SAISC). The business had many debts. Figueres helped it become profitable again by selling things they didn't need and making their processes more efficient.
Later, in 1990, Figueres helped start Energía Global Inc. This company focused on renewable energy in Costa Rica and other countries. It was later sold and still operates today.
Figueres also worked with other companies. He was on the board of Terremark Worldwide Inc., a company that helps businesses with their computer systems. He also worked with Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization, a large group of professional service firms.
His Political Journey
In 1986, President Óscar Arias asked Figueres to help improve the national railway system, INCOFER. After that, he became a Minister in Arias's government. He first served as Minister of Foreign Trade, dealing with international business. Then, he became Minister of Agriculture, focusing on farming.
After his government work, Figueres went back to study at Harvard. When he returned to Costa Rica, he decided to run for president. He sought the nomination from his political party, the National Liberation Party.
After a challenging primary election, Figueres won his party's nomination in 1993. He then won the national election in February 1994. José María Figueres Olsen became President of Costa Rica at 39 years old. He was the youngest elected president in the country's 20th-century history.
His Time as President (1994-1998)
During his time as president, Figueres focused on Sustainable Development. This meant working to improve the country in three main ways:
- Making Costa Rica's economy more productive, especially with new technology.
- Helping all people in Costa Rica have better opportunities and well-being.
- Ensuring the country developed in a way that protected nature.
His government also worked to connect Costa Rica more with the global economy.
Figueres made changes to many government organizations. He closed some of them, like a bank that had problems, and the national railway system. However, later governments decided to restart and modernize the railway. His administration also helped the Intel Corporation set up its operations in Costa Rica.
His government also worked to improve education. They changed the constitution to make sure 6% of the country's money went to public education. They also started teaching English in public schools from the first grade. Computer labs were also added to high schools.
During his presidency, the government created the EBAIS (Primary Teams of Basic Health Care). These teams helped provide basic health services and preventive medicine to communities.
Figueres was also a leader in fighting climate change. In 1995, Costa Rica became the first country to put a price on carbon. In 1994, he worked with the U.S. government to create the first agreement between two countries on climate change. This agreement was signed by President Figueres and U.S. Vice President Al Gore. His sister, Christiana Figueres, played a big role in these efforts. She later became a key leader in global climate treaty talks.
Awards and International Work
President Figueres has received several international awards for his work on sustainable development and the environment. These include:
- Kew Gardens Annual Award, 1995
- Global Prize from the World Bank's Global Environmental Fund, 1998
- Liberty Prize from the Max Schmidheiny Foundation, 1998
- Award of the Climate Institute, 1998
- Sustainability Award in Switzerland, 2003
After leaving the presidency, Figueres continued to work on global issues. He helped start foundations that developed programs like LINCOS (Little Intelligent Communities). These programs used technology to help communities. He also worked with the United Nations on information and communication technology.
He was also the Managing Director and later CEO of the World Economic Forum. This organization brings together world leaders to discuss global challenges. Figueres has served on the boards of many important organizations. These include the World Wildlife Fund and the World Resources Institute. He is also a founding member of the Club de Madrid, a group of former presidents and prime ministers who work to promote democracy.
Images for kids
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Figueres in 2012
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Signature of José María Figueres Olsen
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In Spanish: José María Figueres Olsen para niños
