Background
Rafael Angel Calderón Guardia was born on 8 March 1900 in San José.
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Rafael Guardia
Edit ProfileEducation
He received his early education in the San JoséJose public schools, then attended the University of Louvain and University of Brussels, receiving his M. D. degree from the latter in 1927.
After practicing for some years in San José, Jose, he was elected president of the faculty of medicine in the National University of Costa Rica.
Career
Calderon served as vice-president of the Costa Rican Congress, 1935-1937, and president of the Congress, 1938-1939, then was elected president of Costa Rica for the term 1940-1944.
The election was annulled, but on December 15, 1948, the governing junta declared Calderón a traitor for having furnished ammunition to invading rebels in an attempted coup d'etat against the provisional president, José Figueres.
He was interned when he entered Nicaragua in March 1949, but by 1951 he was in Mexico.
In 1955 he led an unsuccessful invasion attempt from Nicaragua.
He died in 1970.
Achievements
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Calderón Guardia remains one of the most controversial figures in Costa Rican history. His characterization as Figueres' primary antagonist served to strengthen this position in favor of the pro-Figueres consensus of having Figueres the "hero of the revolution" after the Figueristas won the civil war.
Membership
National Republican Party
Connections
He married Yvonne Clays Spoelders, who was later to be the first female diplomat of Costa Rica. After divorce he married Rosario Fournier.
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Born
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Died
June 9, 1970 (aged 70) -
Nationality
Costa Rican -
Political Party
Republican