Calderón Guardia, Rafael Ángel (1900-1971)

Costa Rican politician, president 1940-44, who introduced social security reforms. His unwillingness to accept defeat in the 1948 presidential elections led to civil war.

Popularly elected president in 1940, he introduced a labour code and social security legislation, receiving support from both the right and the communist left, and brought Costa Rica into World War II on the Allies' side. He was succeeded as president, 1944-48, by his close associate, Teodoro Picado. In the presidential election in 1948, Calderón was defeated by Otilio Ulate. Picado's attempts to annul the result caused a revolutionary civil war that forced Picado and Calderón into exile and brought José Figueres to power.

Educated partly in Belgium, Calderón worked in Costa Rica as a physician, before entering politics in 1934, seeking to promote housing and health reform. He served successively as vice-president and president of the congress between 1935 and 1939 and was also leader of the Republican, or Calderista, party.