Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 41st President of Costa Rica | |
| In office 8 May 1990 – 8 May 1994 |
|
| Vice President | Germán Serrano Pinto Arnoldo López Echandi |
| Preceded by | Óscar Arias |
| Succeeded by | José María Figueres |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 March 1949 Diriamba, Nicaragua |
| Political party | PUSC |
| Spouse | Gloria Bejarano Almada |
| Profession | lawyer, politician |
| Signature |  |
Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier (born 14 March 1949) was the President of Costa Rica from 1990 to 1994. He was also a presidential candidate for the Social Christian Unity Party in 2010.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier was born on 14 March 1949, in Diriamba, Nicaragua. His parents were living in exile at the time.
His father, Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, was also a former president of Costa Rica (1940-1944). His mother was Maria del Rosario Fournier Mora.
Calderón Fournier is married to Gloria Bejarano Almada. They have four children: Rafael Ángel, Gloria del Carmen, María Gabriela, and Marco Antonio. They also have six grandchildren.
Education
Calderón started his schooling in Mexico City at the Colegio Mexico. He returned to Costa Rica in 1958 when he was nine years old. This was possible because the new president, Mario Echandi Jiménez, allowed political exiles to return.
He completed his secondary education at the Colegio La Salle in San José, Costa Rica. Later, he studied law at the University of Costa Rica.
Political Journey
Calderón Fournier quickly became involved in politics. At just 20 years old, he was elected President of the Youth for the Partido Unificacion Nacional (PUN).
After his father passed away in 1970, he joined the board of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social. Here, he helped create new rules for the country's retirement systems.
In 1974, he was elected as a congressman. He served two terms as the chairman of the Committee on Social Affairs. This committee helped pass important laws, like the Law on Social Development and Family Allowances. This law created a pension plan for many elderly people who had not contributed to a pension fund.
In 1991, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Houston.
Presidential Campaigns
Calderón Fournier quickly rose through the ranks of his party, which later became the Social Christian Unity Party. He ran for president in 1982 but was defeated by Luis Alberto Monge Alvarez. He tried again in 1986 but lost to Oscar Arias Sanchez.
He ran for president a third time in the 1990 elections and was elected. Like his father, he became president at the age of 40. This was exactly 50 years after his father, Calderón Guardia, had become president.
Presidency (1990-1994)
During his time as president, Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier began to reform the government of Costa Rica. He focused on making economic changes that brought more stability to the country.
His government worked to increase production and exports. This led to more international money coming into Costa Rica. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, grew a lot during his presidency. It became the top earner of foreign money, even more than bananas and coffee.
He also made some important social changes. He transformed the old Central Prison into the Children's Museum. This is now a modern and popular place for children and adults to visit. His government also gave free housing vouchers to help families with lower incomes.
He worked to make public pensions fairer and made changes to the labor laws. His government helped stabilize prices and controlled the exchange rate of the dollar. These actions encouraged more investments in Costa Rica.
Key Achievements of His Government
- Continued with housing projects for families.
- Created the Children's Museum.
- Built several parks in San José.
- Started programs to help people find new jobs.
- Encouraged the creation of community homes for children of working mothers.
- Signed a Free Trade Agreement with Mexico.
- Began a program to reform the government.
See also
In Spanish: Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier para niños
