Isaac Azofeifa

Background

He was born in Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica in 1909.

Career

Azofeifa is considered one of the most important Costa Rican poets of the twentieth century. In 1929 he entered the Instituto Pedagógico de Santiago de Chile (Pedagogical Institute of Santiago), where he became Professor of State in Castilian. In 1935 he returned to Costa Rica and it dedicated his life to literature, the education and politics.

From 1943 until his retirement, he was professor of Literature in the University of Costa Rica.

He spent many years reading literature, and published his first poem book, Truncates Unit in 1958. He then went on to publish,, and, among others

Azofeifa obtained important distinctions and prizes: Academic of the Language. National prize of Poetry and in 1980 the National Prize of Culture, MAGON. He was ambassador of Costa Rica in Chile during the Orlich administration and in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, during the Monge administration. both administrations of the National Liberation Party.

In 1989, he founded the Progress Party, for which he was running for president of Costa Rica.

Later he founded the Democratic Force. Both new parties center-trend. He died in April 1997 at the age of 87.

Achievements

• He won second place in a contest to write a diary of Costa Rica.

Politics

Azofeifa was one of the main founders of social democracy, most notably, one of the founders of the National Liberation Party.

Membership

He became a member of the Runrunismo group where he met poets such as Pablo Neruda, Juvencio Valle and Pablo de Rokha.