Beloved Leader’s 100 Years Celebrated

In September, the country celebrated what would have been the 100th birthday of three-time President José “Pepe” Figueres Ferrer, who died in 1990. In honor of the man who abolished the army, oversaw the rewriting of the Constitution and set the groundwork for many other aspects of modern-day Costa Rican life, photo exhibits, roundtables and even an “Anecdotes Night” were held, as well as a gala event in the National Theater. Figueres, who led the country from 1948-1949, 1953-1958, and 1970-1974, died in 1990 at age 83.