The 1949 Constitution of Costa Rica established two vice presidencies of Costa Rica, which are directly elected through a popular vote on a ticket with the president for a period of four years, with no immediate re-election. There have been various incarnations of the office. Vice presidents replace the president in cases of temporary or permanent absence.
History Throughout the history of independent Costa Rica, there have been different systems to cover the temporary or permanent absence of a president. Several different names have been used for this position: From 1821 to 1824, the governing committee (junta) selected a vice-president. From 1824 to 1841 there was a vice-head-of-state who was popularly elected. From 1841 to 1842 there was a second-head-of-state, elected for life by popular vote. From 1842 to 1844 there was a vice-head-of-state selected by the Constitutional Assembly. From 1846 to 1847 there was a popularly elected vice-head-of-state. From 1847 to 1848 there was a vice-president of the state, elected by popular vote. From 1848 to 1859 there was a vice-president of the Republic, selected through popular election. From 1859 to 1949 there was a system of designates to the presidency, usually selected by the legislature. Since 1949 there have been two popularly elected vice presidents.
The following tables contain a list of the officials elected to the vice-presidential position since 1821.
Role In addition to succeeding to the Presidency and First Vice Presidency in the case of a vacancy or an inability to serve, Vice Presidents may be appointed to lead ministries in the cabinet.
List Vice Presidents of the Governing Committees of Costa Rica (1821–1824) Between 1821 and 1824 Costa Rica was governed through a system of Governing Committees who chose from among their members a president and a vice-president.
Name Title Time in office Notes Nicolás Carillo y Aguirre Vice-president of the Interim Governing Committee 1821–1822 José Maria de Peralta y La Vega Vice-president of the High Governing Committee 1822–1823 Acted as interim president on some occasions José Francisco Madriz Vice-president of the High Governing Committee 1 January – 20 March 1823 Santiago de Bonilla y Laya-Bolívar Vice-president of the Provincial Constitutional Congress 16–30 April 1823 Acted as interim president for some sessions Manuel García-Escalante Interim Vice-president of the Provincial Constitutional Congress 30 April – 6 May 1823 Acted as interim president for some sessions Santiago de Bonilla y Laya-Bolívar Vice-president of the Provincial Constitutional Congress 6–10 May 1823 Eusebio Rodríguez y Castro Vice-president of the High Governing Committee 1823–1824 Alejo Aguilar Vice-president of the High Governing Committee 8 January – 12 February 1824 Eusebio Rodríguez y Castro Vice-president of the High Governing Committee 12 February – 8 September 1824
Vice-Heads-of-State of Costa Rica (1824–1841) Between 1824 and 1841, in accordance with the Basic Law of 21 January 1825 and 1844, a Vice-Head-of-State was elected by the people.
Name Time in Office Notes Mariano Montealegre Bustamante 1824–1825 Provisional José Rafael de Gallegos y Alvarado 1825–1833 Elected 1825 and 1829; acted as interim head of state on a number of occasions Manuel Fernández Chacón 1833–1837 Elected 1833; acted as interim head of state from June to July 1835 Juan Mora Fernández 1837–1838 Elected 1837, but his government was overthrown in 1838; acted as interim head of state on a number of occasions Miguel Carranza Fernández 1838–1841 Filled term of office left by his predecessor
Second Heads of State (1841–1842) In line with the Decree of Rules and Guarantees of 1841, a popularly elected Second-Head-of-State was created to replace the Head of State in case of temporary or permanent absence.
Name Time in office Notes Manuel Antonio Bonilla Nava 1841–1842 Acted as interim president in 1842; his government was overthrown that year
Vice-Heads-of-State (1842–1844; 1846–1847) From 1842 to 1844 and from 1846 to 1847 the country returned to the system of Vice-Heads-of-State.
Name Time in Office Notes Juan Mora Fernández 1842 Provisional, elected by the Constitutional Assembly of 1842; his government was overthrown in 1842 Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla 1843–1844 Provisional, elected by the Constitutional Assembly in 1843; replaced by a new position in 1844; acted as Head-of-State on a number of occasions José María Castro Madriz 1846–1847 Provisional, popularly elected, became vice-president of State in 1847; acted as Head-of-State on a number of occasions
Vice-Presidents of State (1847–1848) From 1847 to 1848 Costa Rica had a vice-president of State, who was popularly elected.
Name Time in Office Notes José María Castro Madriz 1847 Acted as interim president José María Alfaro Zamora 1847 Elected to a six-year term in 1847, resigned Juan Rafael Mora Porras 1847–1848 Acted as president on a number of occasions; elected to fill term of predecessor, but resigned
Vice-Presidents of the Republic of Costa Rica (1848–1859) From 1848 to 1849 the popularly elected Costa Rican Vice-president of the Republic presided over the Legislature.
Name Time in Office Notes Manuel José Carazo Bonilla 1849 Elected to complete the 1849–1853 of his predecessor, but resigned; acted as president from March–April 1849 Juan Rafael Mora Porras 1849 Elected to complete Alfaro's mandate 1849–1853; was elected president in 1849 Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla 1849–1856 Elected to complete Alfaro's mandate 1849, re-elected 1853, died in 1856; acted as president on a number of occasions Vicente Aguilar Cubero 1856–1857 Elected to complete Oreamuno's mandate, resigned Rafael García-Escalante Nava 1857–1859 Elected to complete Oreamuno's mandate, re-elected 1859, overthrown 1859; acted as president on a number of occasions
Designates to the Presidency 1859–1881 In the Costa Rican constitutions of 1859, 1869 and 1871, the role of popularly elected vice-president was replaced by two designates to the presidency, elected annually by the Legislature.
Designates to the Presidency Period of Mandate Notes 1) Francisco Montealegre Fernández; 2) Vicente Aguilar Cubero 1860–1861 1) Jesús Jiménez Zamora; 2) Juan Fernando Echeverría (resigned) and Juan González Reyes 1861–1862 1) Julián Volio Llorente; 2) Manuel José Carazo Bonilla 1862–1863 1) Agapito Jiménez Zamora; 2) Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz 1863–1864 1) José María Castro Madriz; 2) Juan José Ulloa Solares 1864–1865; re-elected for the period 1865–1866 1) Julián Volio Llorente; 2) Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz 1866–1867 1) José María Montealegre Fernández; 2) Manuel Antonio Bonilla Nava 1867–1868 1) Jesús Jiménez Zamora; 2) Francisco María Iglesias Llorente Elected for the period 1868–1869; their mandate ended when the government was overthrown in 1868 1) Eusebio Figueroa Oreamuno; 2) Agapito Jiménez Zamora 1869–1870; ended their mandate when the government was overthrown in April 1870 Eusebio Figueroa Oreamuno acted as interim president in April 1869 1) Rafael Barroeta Baca Appointed Designate to the presidency by the de facto Government in 1870; performed the role until the constitutional government assumed power in 1872 Acted as president on a number of occasions 1) José Antonio Pinto Castro; 2) Rafael Barroeta Baca 1872–1873 José Antonio Pinto Castro acted as president from 1872 to 1873 1) Salvador González Ramírez; 2) Rafael Barroeta Baca 1873–1874 Salvador González Ramírez acted as president from November to December 1873 as did Rafael Barroeta Baca from 1873 to 1874 1) Rafael Barroeta Baca; 2) Vicente Herrera Zeledón 1874–1875 1) Joaquín Lizano Gutiérrez; 2) Rafael Barroeta Baca 1875–1876 Joaquín Lizano Gutiérrez acted as interim president in 1875 1) Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez; 2) Vicente Herrera Zeledón (resigned) and Braulio Morales Cervantes Elected for the period 1876–1877; ended their mandates when the government was overthrown in July 1876 1) Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez; 2) Manuel Antonio Bonilla Nava Appointed in 1876 by President Vicente Herrera Zeledón; ended their mandates in 1877 Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez acted as interim president in September 1877 and refused to recognise President Vicente Herrera Zeledón 1) Pedro Quirós Jiménez; 2) Rafael Barroeta Baca (died in 1880) 1877–1881
Designates to the Presidency 1881–1882 In 1881 President Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez replaced the system of two Designates to the presidency with one of seven Designates. This situation lasted until the constitutional government assumed power in 1882
Designates to the Presidency Period of Mandate Notes 1) Saturnino Lizano Gutiérrez (ended his mandate in July 1882 as he became President of the Republic); 2) Salvador Lara Zamora; 3) José María Castro Madriz; 4) Manuel Argüello Mora; 5) Pedro Quirós Jiménez; 6) Víctor Guardia Gutiérrez; 7) Próspero Fernández Oreamuno Appointed by President Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez in 1881; ended their mandates when constitutional rule was restored in 1882Saturnino Lizano Gutiérrez acted as interim president during June and July 1882, as did Salvador Lara Zamora from 1881 to 1882 and Próspero Fernández Oreamuno during July and August 1882. Saturnino Lizano Gutiérrez assumed the presidency on the death of President Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez in July 1882
Designates to the Presidency 1882–1948 In 1882, with the restoration of the 1871 Constitution, Costa Rica returned to the system of Designates to the presidency, but with three designates, elected by the Legislature for same four-year period as the president of the Republic.