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Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez facts for kids

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Tomás Guardia
Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez.JPG
President of Costa Rica
In office
August 10, 1870 (1870-08-10) – May 8, 1876 (1876-05-08)
Preceded by Bruno Carranza
Succeeded by Aniceto Esquivel
President of Costa Rica
In office
September 11, 1877 (1877-09-11) – July 6, 1882 (1882-07-06)
Preceded by Vicente Herrera
Succeeded by Saturnino Lizano
Personal details
Born
Tomás Miguel Guardia Gutiérrez

(1831-12-16)December 16, 1831
Bagaces, Guanacaste
Died July 6, 1882(1882-07-06) (aged 50)
Alajuela, Alajuela
Spouse Emilia Solórzano Alfaro

Tomás Miguel Guardia Gutiérrez (born December 16, 1831 – died July 6, 1882) was an important leader in Costa Rica. He served as the President of Costa Rica two times. His first term was from 1870 to 1876, and his second was from 1877 until his death in 1882.

Becoming President

Tomás Guardia was a general in the army. On April 27, 1870, he was part of a group of army officers. They removed President Jesús Jiménez from power. This event is known as a coup d'état.

After this, Bruno Carranza became president for a very short time. Tomás Guardia was the main person making decisions behind the scenes. After just three months, Tomás Guardia took over as president himself.

Important Changes in Costa Rica

One of the most important things Tomás Guardia did was create a new set of rules for the country. In 1871, he put in place the 1871 Constitution of Costa Rica. This set of laws was very important. It stayed in use for a long time, until 1948.

In 1876, Tomás Guardia stepped down from the presidency. Aniceto Esquivel became president. But even then, Tomás Guardia still had a lot of influence. He continued to guide decisions during Esquivel's short time in office. He also influenced the next president, Vicente Herrera.

Return to Power and New Laws

On September 11, 1877, Tomás Guardia became president again. He stayed in this role until he passed away.

Later that same year, he made another big change. He officially ended the use of the death penalty in Costa Rica. This meant that the government could no longer execute people as punishment for crimes.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez para niños

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