Celebrations Under Way To Honor ‘Don Pepe’

The 100th anniversary of the birth of three-time President José “Pepe” Figueres (1948-1949, 1953-1958 and 1970-1974), to be celebrated Monday, has given rise to a wide range of commemorative events, from roundtable discussions to photography exhibits to solemn ceremonies.

The Legislative Assembly’s scheduled birthday events to honor the leader, who abolished Costa Rica’s army in 1948, include a ceremony at 10 a.m. at the José Figueres Ferrer Cultural and HistoricalCenter in Figueres’ native San Ramón, northwest of San José; a photo exhibit at 1 p.m. and a ceremony at 3 p.m. at the Legislative Assembly; a choir concert at 6 p.m. and a ceremony at 7 p.m., both at the National Theater in downtown San José. The ceremony can be seen on TV Channel 13.

For those interested in learning more about Figueres’ life, two documentaries, “Don Pepe, él de Costa Rica” (“Don Pepe, He of Costa Rica”) and the last of a four-part series entitled “Un Costarricense Llamado Don Pepe” (“A Costa Rican Named Don Pepe”) will be shown Sunday on Channel 13, at 8 and 10 p.m., respectively. The latter will also be shown on Channel 15 Monday, at 9 p.m.

On Sept. 28, a photo retrospective will be held at the NationalMuseum. Events will continue at the assembly into October, with an exhibit featuring cartoons and caricatures of Figueres Oct. 2 at 9 a.m., and a forum on Costa Rica’s more than half a century without an army Oct. 31 at 9 a.m.