List of heads of state of Costa Rica

The following is the list of all the heads of state of Costa Rica. The current Constitution establishes that the President of Costa Rica is both head of state and head of government, and the current officeholder is Rodrigo Chaves Robles of the Social Democratic Progress Party.

 First independent governments (1821–1824) 

On October 11, 1821, the province of Costa Rica proclaimed its absolute independence from Spain. On the 29th of that month, the city of Cartago, head of the Partido de Costa Rican, also signed an act declaring the absolute independence of the Spanish Government.

During this period the main divisions occurred between two sides; the imperialist who sought to annex Costa Rica to the First Mexican Empire and the Republican who sought full independence from Costa Rica. The monarchicals or monarchists also advocated the recognition of Agustín de Iturbide as emperor.
#NameTermFactionVice presidentsJuan Manuel de CañasOctober 11, 1821 – November 12, 1821EspañolistaNicolás Carrillo y AguirreNovember 12, 1821 – December 1, 1821ImperialistPedro José de Alvarado y BaezaDecember 1821– January 1822ImperialistRafael Barroeta y CastillaJanuary 6–13, 1822; president of the Superior Government Junta, January 6 – April 13, 1822ImperialistSantiago de Bonilla y Laya-Bolívar13 Aprial – June 15, 1822LiberalJosé María de PeraltaJune 15  – October 17, 1822RepublicanJosé Rafael Gallegos17 octubre de 1822– January 1, 1823ImperialistJosé Santos LombardoJanuary 1 – March 20, 1823ImperialistRafael Francisco OsejoMarch 20–29, 1823RepublicanJoaquín de OreamunoMarch 29 – April 5, 1823ImperialistGregorio José RamírezApril 5 – 16, 1823RepublicanJosé María de PeraltaApril 16 – May 10, 1823RepublicanManuel Alvarado e Hidalgo1823–1824RepublicanEusebio Rodríguez y CastroJanuary 8  – February 12, 1824RepublicanManuel Alvarado e HidalgoFebruary 12 – September 8, 1824Republican

 Emperor (1822–1823) 

50x50px
EmperorTerm130x130pxAgustín de IturbideMay 19, 1822–
March 19, 1823

 President 

PortraitNameTermVice presidentsPartyJosé Matías Delgado1823Liberal PartyFirst Triumvirate:

 Pedro Molina Mazariegos
 Manuel José Arce
 Juan Vicente Villacorta Díaz(1823)Liberal PartySecond Triumvirate:

 Manuel José Arce
 José Cecilio del Valle
 Tomás Antonio O'Horán y Argüello1823–1825Liberal PartyManuel José Arce29 April 1825-13 April 1829Liberal PartyMariano Beltranena y Llano13 April 1829-14 June 1829Conservative PartyJosé Francisco Barrundia26 June 1829-16 June 1830Liberal PartyJosé Francisco Morazán Quezada16 September 1830-16 September 1834Liberal PartyJosé Cecilio del Valle†Conservative PartyJosé Gregorio Salazar16 September 1834-14 February 1835Liberal PartyJosé Francisco Morazán QuezadaFebruary 14, 1835 – February 1, 1839 Liberal PartyJuan Mora Fernández1824–1833Mariano Montealegre Bustamante (1824–1825)
José Rafael de Gallegos y Alvarado (1825–1829)LiberalJosé Rafael de Gallegos y Alvarado1833–1835 Manuel Fernández ChacónConservativeManuel Fernández ChacónVacantLiberalNicolás Ulloa SotoManuel Fernández ChacónConservativeBraulio Carrillo Colina1835–1837LiberalJoaquín Mora FernándezMarch–April 1837 LiberalManuel Aguilar Chacón1837–1838 Juan Mora FernándezLiberalBraulio Carrillo ColinaNovember 14, 1838 – April 8, 1842 Miguel Carranza Fernández (1838–1841)
Manuel Antonio Bonilla Nava (1841–182)LiberalFrancisco Morazán QuesadaApril 8 – September 11, 1842 Juan Mora FernándezLiberalAntonio Pinto SoaresSeptember 11–27, 1842 VacantLiberalJosé María Alfaro Zamora27 September 1842-29 November 1844Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla (1843–1844)LiberalFrancisco María Oreamuno BonillaNovember 29, 1844 – June 7, 1846 José María Castro Madriz (1845–1847)LiberalJosé María Alfaro ZamoraJune 7, 1846 – May 1, 1847 LiberalJosé María Alfaro ZamoraMay 1, 1847 – May 6, 1847 José María Castro MadrizLiberalJosé María Castro MadrizMay 8, 1847 – August 31, 1848 José María Alfaro Zamora (1847)
Juan Rafael Mora Porras (1847–1848)LiberalJosé María Castro MadrizAugust 31, 1848 – November 15, 1849 Manuel José Carazo Bonilla (1848–1849)
Juan Rafael Mora Porras (1849)LiberalMiguel Mora PorrasNovember 16–26, 1849VacantLiberalJuan Rafael Mora PorrasNovember 26 – December 30, 1849 – August 14, 1859 Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla† (1853–1856)
Vicente Aguilar Cubero (1856–1857)
Rafael García-Escalante Nava (1857–1859)LiberalJosé María Montealegre Fernández14 August 1859 – 8 May 1863Abolished
Alternates appointed by Congress.LiberalJesús Jiménez Zamora8 May 1863 – 8 May 1866LiberalJosé María Castro MadrizMay 8, 1866 – November 1, 1868 LiberalJesús Jiménez ZamoraNovember 1, 1868 – April 27, 1870 LiberalBruno Carranza RamírezApril 27 – August 8, 1870 LiberalTomás Guardia GutiérrezAugust 8, 1870 – May 8, 1876 LiberalAniceto Esquivel SáenzMay 8, 1876 – July 30, 1876 LiberalVicente Herrera Zeledón30 July 1876 – 23 September 1877ConservativeTomás Guardia Gutiérrez†September 23, 1877 – July 6, 1882 LiberalSaturnino Lizano GutiérrezJuly 6 – August 10, 1882 LiberalPróspero Fernández Oreamuno†August 10, 1882 – March 12, 1885 OlympusBernardo Soto AlfaroMarch 12, 1885 – November 7, 1889 OlympusCarlos Durán CartínNovember 7, 1889 – May 8, 1890 LiberalJosé Rodríguez Zeledón8 May 1890 – 8 May 1894Constitutional PartyRafael Yglesias Castro8 May 1894 – 8 May 1902Civil PartyAscensión Esquivel Ibarra8 May 1902 – 8 May 1906National Union PartyCleto González Víquez8 May 1906 – 8 May 1910National PartyRicardo Jiménez Oreamuno8 May 1910 – 8 May 1914Republican PartyAlfredo González FloresMay 8, 1914 – January 27, 1917 Republican PartyFederico Alberto Tinoco GranadosJanuary 27, 1917 – August 20, 1919 Peliquista PartyJuan Bautista Quirós SeguraAugust 20, 1919 – September 2, 1919 Peliquista PartyFrancisco Aguilar Barquero2 September 1919-8 May 1920Republican PartyJulio Acosta García8 May 1920-8 May 1924Constitutional PartyRicardo Jiménez OreamunoMay 8, 1924 – May 8, 1928 Republican PartyCleto González Víquez8 May 1928-8 May 1932National Union PartyRicardo Jiménez OreamunoMay 8, 1932 – May 8, 1936 National Republican PartyLeón Cortés Castro8 May 1936-8 May 1940National Republican PartyRafael Ángel Calderón Guardia8 May 1940-8 May 1944National Republican PartyTeodoro Picado MichalskiMay 8, 1944 – April 19, 1948 National Republican PartySantos León HerreraApril 19 – May 8, 1948 National Republican PartyJosé Figueres Ferrer, Benjamín Odio Odio, Gonzalo Facio Segreda, Alberto Martén Chavarría, Uladislao Gámez Solano, Francisco José Orlich Bolmarcich, Bruce Masís Dibiasi, Raúl Blanco Cervantes, Benjamín Núñez Vargas, Edgar Cardona Quirós, Daniel Oduber QuirósMay 8, 1948 – November 8, 1949National Liberation MovementOtilio Ulate Blanco8 November 1949 – 8 May 1953Alberto Oreamuno Flores and Alfredo Volio MataNational Union PartyJosé Figueres Ferrer8 May 1953 – 8 May 1958Raúl Blanco Cervantes and Fernando Esquivel BonillaNational Liberation PartyMario Echandi Jiménez8 May 1958 – 8 May 1962Abelardo Bonilla Baldares and José Joaquín Peralta EsquivelNational Union PartyFrancisco José Orlich Bolmarcich8 May 1962 – 8 May 1966Raúl Blanco Cervantes and Carlos Sáenz HerreraNational Liberation PartyJosé Joaquín Trejos Fernández8 May 1966 – 8 May 1970Jorge Vega Rodríguez and Virgilio Calvo SánchezNational Unification CoalitionJosé Figueres Ferrer8 May 1970 – 8 May 1974Manuel Aguilar Bonilla and Jorge Rossi ChavarríaNational Liberation PartyDaniel Oduber Quirós8 May 1974 – 8 May 1978Carlos Manuel Castillo Morales and Fernando Guzmán MataNational Liberation PartyRodrigo Carazo Odio8 May 1978 – 8 May 1982Rodrigo Altmann Ortiz and José Miguel Alfaro RodríguezUnity CoalitionLuis Alberto Monge Álvarez8 May 1982 – 8 May 1986Alberto Fait Lizano and Armando Aráuz AguilarNational Liberation PartyÓscar Arias Sánchez8 May 1986 – 8 May 1990Jorge Manuel Dengo Obregón and Victoria Garrón OrozcoNational Liberation PartyRafael Ángel Calderón Fournier8 May 1990 – 8 May 1994Germán Serrano Pinto and Arnoldo López EchandiSocial Christian Unity PartyJosé María Figueres Olsen8 May 1994 – 8 May 1998Rodrigo Oreamuno Blanco and Rebeca Grynspan MayufisNational Liberation PartyMiguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría8 May 1998 – 8 May 2002Astrid Fischel Volio and Elizabeth Odio BenitoSocial Christian Unity PartyAbel Pacheco de la Espriella8 May 2002 – 8 May 2006Lineth Saborío Chaverri and Luis Fishman ZonzinskiSocial Christian Unity PartyÓscar Arias Sánchez8 May 2006 – 8 May 2010Laura Chinchilla Miranda and Kevin Casas ZamoraNational Liberation PartyLaura Chinchilla Miranda8 May 2010 – 8 May 2014Alfio Piva Mesén and Luis Liberman GinsburgNational Liberation PartyLuis Guillermo Solís Rivera8 May 2014 – 8 May 2018Helio Fallas Venegas and Ana Helena Chacón EcheverríaCitizens' Action PartyCarlos Alvarado QuesadaMay 8, 2018 – May 8, 2022Epsy Campbell Barr and Marvin Rodríguez CorderoCitizens' Action PartyRodrigo Chaves RoblesMay 8, 2022-Stephan Brunner Neibig and Mary Munive AngermüllerSocial Democratic Progress Party

References

Category:Costa Rican politicians