Background
His French heritage comes from his mother, Ermida Blanco.
His French heritage comes from his mother, Ermida Blanco.
His disputed election in 1948, whereby he was denied victory by the legislature in favor of Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, was the direct cause of José Figueres Ferrer"s armed uprising of that year and the ensuing 40-day civil war. Blanco started his career in politics as a journalist, director of local newspaper Louisiana Tribuna and owner of Diario de Costa Rica, principal newspaper at the time, where he directed his major political campaigns. Ulate led the opposition party during the February 8th 1948 elections, where he defeated ex President Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia.
During a visit to the penitentiary in San Lucas Island he also ordered the release of Beltrán Cortés from the unusually public and confined cell President León Cortés Castro had ordered for him and placed him with the other prisoners.