Background
Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier was born in Diriamba, Nicaragua, on 14 March 1949.
Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier was born in Diriamba, Nicaragua, on 14 March 1949.
Calderon Fournier was elected secretary of secondary education issues of the Partido Unificacion Nacional (PUN). At 20 he was elected President of the Youth of the PUN. Shortly after the death of his father in 1970, he was appointed to the board of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social. In that capacity he participated in the drafting of the new regulations of the retirement systems of the country. He was elected congressman in 1974 and served for two consecutive terms as chairman of the Committee on Social Affairs. Among other important bills, the commission adopted the Law on Social Development and Family Allowances, which gave the country a non-contributory pension scheme, which now covers more than a hundred thousand elderly (citation required).
Social Christian Unity Party
Calderon Fournier is married to Gloria Bejarano Almada. They have four children: Rafael Ángel, Gloria del Carmen, María Gabriela y Marco Antonio. They also have six grandchildren: Alex, Gloria, Tomas, Felipe, Rafael Angel and Karolina.