Daniel Oduber Quirós

Daniel Oduber Quirós
President of Costa Rica
In office 8 May 1974 – 8 May 1978
Preceded by	José Figueres Ferrer
Succeeded by	Rodrigo Carazo Odio
Personal details
Born	25 August 1921 San José, Costa Rica
Died	13 October 1991 (aged 70) Escazú, Costa Rica
Political party	PLN
Spouse(s)	Marjorie Elliott de Oduber (1948–1991; his death)
Children	Luis Adrian Ana Maria

Porfirio Ricardo José Luis Daniel Oduber Quirós (August 25, 1921 - October 13, 1991) was a Costa Rican politician, lawyer, philosopher, poet, and essayist. He served as the President of Costa Rica from 1974 to 1978.^[1] He is credited with the creation of the Sistema Nacional de Radio y Televisión and the Universidad Estatal a Distancia.^[2]

Oduber worked as a lawyer early in his career. In 1945, Oduber went to Canada to study philosophy at McGill University, graduating with a Master of Arts. In 1948, he returned to Costa Rica and participated in the revolution led by José Figueres Ferrer. When their faction won, he was named Secretary General of the Second Republic of Costa Rica.

Some time later he traveled to Paris, where he continued his philosophical studies at the Sorbonne. In 1948, while studying in France, he married Marjorie Elliot Sypher, the daughter of Canadian diplomats.^[2] The couple had two children, Luis Adrian and Ana María.^[2]

After returning to Costa Rica, he worked in national politics, working with the Figueres presidency campaign and becoming an Ambassador in Mexico and later in Europe. He also served as foreign minister from 1962 to 1964.^[1]

He was elected president in 1974.^[1] His government was very socially focused, dealing heavily with working class issues. He worked on raising the quality of life of rural areas and bettered pricing for agricultural products. A lot of attention was given to reforestation and the preservation of natural resources. On the international front, his government was popular amongst the Central American nations. During his term in office, Oduber granted legal status to the communist party (1975) and restored consular relations with Cuba (1977). He sided and worked with Presidents Jimmy Carter and Omar Torrijos to defend Panama's sovereignty.

The airport located near Liberia, Daniel Oduber International Airport, was named in his honor. There is a full statue of him in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica.

References

1. "Curriculum Vitae: Daniel Oduber Quirós" (PDF). UNESCO. 9 August 1985. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
2. Oviedo, Steven (2015-04-16). "Marjorie de Oduber, viuda del expresidente Daniel Oduber, falleció este jueves a los 89 años". La Nación (San José). Retrieved 2015-05-23.