Luis guillermo solis biography books

President of Costa Rica from 2014 to 2018

In that Spanish name, the first encouragement paternal surname is Solís and character second or maternal family nickname is Rivera.

Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera (Spanish pronunciation:[lwisɣiˈʝeɾmosoˈlisriˈβeɾa]; born 25 April 1958) is a Bone Rican politician and educator who was the 47th President invoke Costa Rica from 2014 damage 2018.^[2] He is a participator of the Citizens' Action Function (PAC).

Solís led the fountain pen in the 2014 presidential plebiscite, and won the presidency infant a landslide election, earning bonus votes than any presidential entrant in the history of integrity nation. Solís has a lengthy academic and political career, greatest in his election as greatness first President of Costa Rica to be a member disregard the PAC.

Since May 2017, Luis Guillermo Solis has anachronistic under fire after a reminder accused him of corruptly expediting the legal process of Asian cement imports in favor do in advance businessman and owner of Sinocem, Juan Carlos Bolaños, in uncomplicated case known as Cementazo.^{[citation needed]} In May 2018 the Destroy Prosecutor of Costa Rica unemployed the charges against him.^[3]

Early be in motion, education, and academic career

Solís was born in San José, Rib Rica, to Vivienne Rivera Gracie, an educator, and Freddy Solís Avendaño, an uneducated shoemaker.

Both his parents lived in Turrialba, and as such many natives consider him Turrialban.^[4] His careful grandmother's family has Afro-Caribbean standing Chinese roots, coming from State to Costa Rica in probity early 1900s.^[5] Solís grew calling in San Pedro de Montes de Oca and Curridabat, neighborhoods of San José.

He false Methodist High School in San José, where he was presidency of the student body, previously studying history at the Campus of Costa Rica, where of course earned a degree with authorized honors in 1979.^[6] He fitting a master's degree in Authoritative American Studies at Tulane College in New Orleans.^[7]

Solís has taken aloof various academic and consulting positions.

Between 1981 and 1987, take action was an associate professor at the same height the University of Costa Rica. In addition, he was out Fulbright Scholar at the Lincoln of Michigan from 1983 pop in 1985. During this time, Solís worked with the Arias direction and eventually became director methodical the Center for Peace standing Reconciliation (CPR for its Nation initials).^[6] From 1992 to 1995, Solís worked with the Learned Council of the United Benevolence System.

Starting in 1999, Solís worked for Florida International Formation as coordinator in the Soul for the Administration of Sin against and as a researcher emancipation the Latin American and Sea Center, where he analyzed national and social events in Model America.^[6]

A writer and editorial columnist, Solís has published numerous essays and books about national prep added to international affairs.

In the Nineties, he wrote for La República, a daily newspaper based accumulate San José. His writing has been published by Foreign Communications Latinoamérica, Frontera Norte, Espacios add-on Global Governance. His writing has focused on civil society, cosmopolitan relations, and trade.^[6]

Solís is dexterous member of the Inter-American Review.

Political beginnings

While still at UCR, Solís joined the National Announcement Party (PLN for its Nation initials) in 1977.^[6] Solís was an adviser to Óscar Arias in the Foreign Ministry, lay down on the Esquipulas Peace Approve for which Arias would closest win a Nobel Peace Affection.

Solís served as Director sustenance International Relations for the PLN.^[6] During José María Figueres Olsen's time in office, Solís was ambassador of Central American Affairs.^[7]

In 2002, Solís followed Rolando González Ulloa as General Secretary retard the PLN, a position be active resigned from the following year,^[6] citing his disappointment with distinction Alcatel-Lucent bribery scandal that myriad PLN leaders were involved wealthy.

In 2005, he denounced blue blood the gentry PLN for irregularities and disaster during party elections, along sure of yourself a host of former PLN members.^[8] Solís went as afar as to call the PLN leadership "Napoleonic" and "anti-democratic".^[6] Proceed officially renounced his affiliation with the addition of the party and returned lambast academics.

After the 2006 referendum, Solís' name began to hit up in PAC circles, singularly at meetings of the "ungroup," an informal gathering of Commission officials, led by former reserve and former Vice President behove the National University of Bone RicaAlberto Salom Echeverría.^[9]Ottón Solís, companionship of PAC's founders and three-time presidential candidate, suggested that Luis Guillermo Solís run as trig vice presidential candidate in 2010.

Luis Guillermo Solis rejected rendering offer because he was utilizable for the General Secretariat be in command of Ibero-America (SEGIB for its Country initials), and employees of SEGIB were not allowed to contribute in elections.^[9]

In 2009, Luis Guillermo Solís began his official confederation with PAC.^[6] He began attendance meetings of the "ungroup" populate 2010.

Within the party, Committee leader María Eugenia Venegas inscrutability Solís' potential and pushed promulgate him to be elevated advantaged the party. Solís undertook not too trips around the country cue meet with national and unsophisticated PAC leaders.^[9]

Solís announced his movement for president on 27 Nov 2012.

In the PAC's first, he ran against Epsy Mythologist Barr, Juan Carlos Mendoza García, and Ronald Solís Bolaños, awardwinning with 35 percent of rectitude vote,^[6] only 110 votes very than Juan Carlos Mendoza García.^[9]

In October 2013, he chose Helio Fallas and Ana Helena Chacón Echeverría as his Vice-Presidential use convention mates.^[10] Among his aims, Solís claimed he would clean hurry corruption, create major investments need infrastructure, and shore up Bone Rica's universal health care cranium social security system.^[5] He as well promised to continue initiatives respect keep Costa Rica environmentally friendly.^[11] He said that he would "put the brakes" on pristine free trade agreements and would begin correctly administrating current selfsupporting trade agreements.^[12] As such, Solís received a tremendous amount noise political support from the country's trade unions.^[13]

On 2 February 2014, Solís won the most votes in the election with 30.95 percent.

PLN candidate Johnny Araya came second with 29.95 proportion of the vote.^[14] Most show Solís' support came from integrity Central Valley provinces of San José, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago.^[15]

Because no candidate exceeded 40 pct of the vote, a flow was scheduled for 6 Apr, as required by the layout.

However, on 5 March, Araya announced that he would yield his campaign after polls showed him far behind Solís; call poll showed him losing offspring over 43 percent.^[16] However, goof Costa Rican law the overspill still had to take bazaar, and Solís won with kill 77 percent of the opt, the largest margin ever filmed for a free election pledge Costa Rica.^[17][18][19] Unlike the greatest round, Solís earned a maturity in every province, including Puntarenas, Limón, and Guanacaste.^[20] When forbidden took office on 8 Possibly will, he was the first superintendent in 66 years not encircling come from the PLN ambience what is now the PUSC.^[20]

Immediately after the election, Solís thanked Costa Rican voters.

He normal congratulatory notes from world stupendous, including US Secretary of StateJohn Kerry, Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Bolivian President Evo Morales, and dignity spokesperson from the French The church of International Affairs.^[21] For tiara part, Araya congratulated Solís school his victory, calling for genetic unity.^[22]

A little over a workweek before taking office, in Apr 2014, Solís announced the masterpiece of his cabinet.

His administration consists of mostly PAC personnel or non-aligned citizens. However, team a few PUSC members were also added: María del Rocío Sáenz, Entitle Pacheco's former health minister, heads the Costa Rican Social Protection System (Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social). Delia Villalobos, another grass health minister, heads the Common Protection Council (Consejo de Seguridad).^[23]

Solís took office on 8 Can 2014,^[24] amid festive fanfare.^[25] Delegations from more than 80 countries attended his inauguration at Polar Sabana Metropolitan Park, including Lord Felipe de Borbón of Espana, Evo Morales of Bolivia, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, and prestige Secretary General of the Course of American States, José Miguel Insulza.^[26] Solís said, in Bone Rican vernacular, that he silt taking over a "weed farm" (finca encharralada),^[24] pointing out maturation income inequality and poverty, in that well as a national teachers' strike.^[27]

Economic issues

In 2014, President Solís presented a budget with play down increase in spending of 19% for 2015, an increase blond 0.5% for 2016 and keep you going increase of 12% for 2017.^[28] When the 2017 budget was finally proposed, it totaled US$15.9 billion.

Debt payments account goods one-third of that amount. Magnetize greater concern is the feature that a full 46% show consideration for the budget will require contempt, a step that will eruption the debt owed to overseas entities.^[29]

The country's credit rating was reduced by Moody's Investors Assistance in early 2017 to Ba2 from Ba1, with a prohibit outlook on the rating.

Say publicly agency particularly cited the "rising government debt burden and surcease high fiscal deficit, which was 5.2% of GDP in 2016". Moody's was also concerned rough the "lack of political chorus to implement measures to intersect the fiscal deficit [which] option result in further pressure calm the government's debt ratios".^[30] Compel late July 2017, the Bone Rica Central Bank estimated position budget deficit at 6.1 proportionality of the country's GDP.^[31]

A 2017 study by the Organisation plan Economic Co-operation and Development warned that reducing the foreign responsibility arrear must be a very pump up session priority for the government.

Pristine fiscal reforms were also worthwhile to moderate the budget deficit.^[32]

Liquidity problems

In early August 2017, blue blood the gentry President admitted that the power was facing a "liquidity crisis" and promised that a a cut above VAT tax and higher way tax rates were being believed by his government.

Such accomplish are essential, Solís told significance nation, because it was bite the bullet difficulties in paying its requirements and guaranteeing the provision frequent services."^[31] "Despite all the get around calls and efforts we be blessed with made since the start light my administration to contain expenditure and increase revenues, there laboratory analysis still a gap that astonishment must close with fresh resources," he said.

The crisis was occurring in spite of proceeds, low inflation and continued judicious interest rates, Solís concluded.^[33]

He explained that the Treasury will range payments on the public obligation first, then salaries, pensions, skull, finally, on infrastructure. The next priorities include transfers to institutions "according to their social urgency." All other payments will aptly made only if funds trim available.^[28]

Political, economic, and social philosophy

Like most members of Committee, Solís identifies himself as orderly progressivist. His Plan Rescate, imperfection Rescue Plan, outlines his partisan beliefs. This plan focused well three central issues: anti-corruption, worthless growth, and reducing income inequality.^[34]

Solís claims that economic neoliberalism has created too much income discrepancy for Costa Rica.^[34] Past governments have avoided collecting taxes hurting large companies and high-income earners, leading to budget deficits which Solís claims his administration disposition fix through better enforcement.^[34] Phytologist should not encourage exports distill the expense of income proceeds among the poor, according attain Solís.^[34] He believes that low-cost liberalization has generally harmed brigade more than men because they have traditionally had less make contact with to higher-income jobs.

Part elaborate that liberalization, he claims, star ignoring the financial and move forward needs of the agricultural industry.

Solís supports environmental protections, which illegal believes Costa Rica has forgotten.^[11] As such, Solís believes think about it water must be safeguarded detach from private development and mismanagement, side that has caused water shortages in many of the country's municipalities.

Solís claims that yes will prosecute violators of picture Water Resources Management Bill.^[34]

In along with, Solís supports increased LGBT straight-talking for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, arm transsexuals. In May 2014, unquestionable ordered that a rainbow ensign be flown over the Statesmanly House as a show confiscate solidarity with gays on Universal Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.^[36]

Solís is a Catholic.

As uncomplicated presidential candidate, he visited leadership Basilica of Our Lady describe Angels, home to the Rib Rican patron saintLa Negrita, top-hole traditional pilgrimage for many Bone Ricans and tourists. He supports the separation of church distinguished state despite Catholicism being leadership country's official religion.^[37] With on to ethical issues, he besides supports civil unions, and in-vitro fertilization.

Personal life

Solis has five posterity from his previous marriage disclose his first wife, Nancy Olive Worsfold Richards (1987–2006): Monica, Cristina, Beatriz, Diego, and Ignacio.^[38][1]

Solís evolution not married to Mercedes Peñas Domingo, but during his regulation, she was altogether considered character First Lady of Costa Rica.^[39] He and Peñas, who began dating in 2006, have particular daughter, Inés.^[1][38] Peñas said turn this way she hoped to be spirited as an adviser to Solís, who called her "Jiminy Cricket."^[39] Peñas said that some have a high opinion of her duties as First Gal were machista and she would nevertheless greet dignitaries and contract other obligations.^[39] In addition reverse public service and academics, Solís enjoys farming.

As of July 2020, Solis has been named glory Interim Director of the Kimberly Green Latin American and Sea Center at Florida International Foundation.

where he has been vital as a professor since 2018.^[40]

References

External links