José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón
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José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón was President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
from 1890 to 1894.
Rodríguez was born on 6 January 1837. He studied law at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, but owing to family matters and economic circumstances he had to break off his studies and return to Costa Rica. However, he did eventually graduate with a law degree from the Universidad de Santo Tomás in San José
San José, Costa Rica
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
.
He was a prestigious lawyer who had never made any active forays into the country's politics, but he had distinguished himself as the Magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia). For a short time he also occupied the post of Secretary of State in Bernardo Soto's
Bernardo Soto Alfaro
Ramón Bernardo Soto Alfaro was President of Costa Rica from 1885 to 1889.He took office when his father-in-law, President Próspero Fernández, died in office in 1885, and in a gesture of national conciliation following the fiercely disputed election for his successor, decided to hold himself apart...
government.
He attained the presidency by being elected with a considerable majority, ushering in a new era for the country that would end with imposed governments.
Rodríguez sought the clergy's support to be able to govern. The liberals became alarmed and decided to support the president, who accepted this group's collaboration, succeeding in beating the Catholic Party in the midterm elections for deputies.
In 1892, he dissolved the Congress, and even as dictator kept the title President. In 1893 he established once again individual guarantees so that voting for his successor could go ahead with greater freedom. The winner was the Minister of War and the Navy, Don Rafael Yglesias Castro
Rafael Yglesias Castro
Term of office: 8 May 1894 to8 May 1902– Preceded by: José Joaquín Rodríguez– Succeeded by: Ascensión EsquivelDate of birth: 18 April 1861Place of birth: Date of death: 10 April 1924Place of death: San José...
, the Civil Party candidate.
Rodríguez had to govern in a time of great conflict and his main preoccupation was his homeland's welfare. His methods of keeping order have been censured by the citizenry.
Among his successes are his measures favouring education. He established night schools for adults in the national capital and provincial cities. He hailed the contract to establish the telephone service in the capital and the provinces. He started construction on the National Theatre.
José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón died on 30 November 1917.
Personal life
Rodríguez's parents were Sebastián Rodríguez Mora and Francisca Zeledón Aguilar. His wife was Luisa Alvarado Carrillo. They had several children together and, coincidentally, one of them, Manuela Rodríguez Alvarado, married Rodríguez's successor, Rafael Yglesias Castro.Rodríguez's main successes
- He signed contracts to establish Costa Rica's first telephone service in 1891.
- He favoured education and created night schools for adults.
- He started construction on the National Theatre in 1890.
- He promoted European immigration for the country's colonization and agricultural development.