Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla

Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla (4 October 1801, Cartago, Costa Rica - 23 May 1856) was head of state of Costa Rica from November to December 1844.

Bonilla studied law, but did not complete the course. He still worked as a lawyer, and was later a customs official, a judge, and a regional governor.

In 1843 he was elected to the Constituent Assembly. He was very quickly made Vice President, and was also president of the Congress.

In 1844 he became President and put in place the new Constitution drafted by the Assembly in March 1844. He was opposed by sectors of the Army, led by the military commander general of Costa Rica, General Pinto. After the coup failed, Bonilla removed Pinta from the army. 

He resigned in December, when the after the assembly refused to allow him to use force to settle problem between some of the provinces. His resignation was not accepted, but he was allowed to retire to his hometown. He was replaced on an interim basis by Rafael Mora Murillo and later by José Rafael Gallegos. 

He continued to serve as Vice President, and in 1856, brought in many laws and actions to try to control a cholera epidemic. He got cholera, and died on 23 May 1856.

References

Category:Presidents of Costa Rica
Category:19th-century Costa Rican people
Category:1801 births
Category:1856 deaths