Oduber Quirós, Daniel (1921–1992)

Daniel Oduber Quirós (b. 25 August 1921; d. 1992), president of Costa Rica (1974–1978), founding member of the Center for the Study of National Problems and the National Liberation Party (PLN).

San José-born Oduber began his political career as a young law student and participated actively in the epoch-making events of the revolutionary decade (1940–1950). He helped organize and sustain the Center for the Study of National Problems (1940), the Social Democratic Party (1945), the United Opposition in the 1948 election, the inner circle of the Figueres Ferrer-led revolution, and the PLN. He became nationally prominent when he was named general secretary of the revolutionary junta (1948–1949) and after that played a prominent role in party and national affairs.

Oduber held many positions in government and the PLN, including president of the legislative assembly (1970–1973), president of the PLN (1970–1977), foreign minister (1962–1964), vice president of the Socialist International, and president of Costa Rica (1974–1978).

In addition to his law degree, he earned a master's degree from McGill University and a doctorate from the Sorbonne.

See alsoCosta Rica, National Liberation Party .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alberto Baeza Flores, Daniel Oduber: Una vida y cien imágenes (1976).

Charles D. Ameringer, Don Pepe (1978).

Richard Biesanz, Karen Zubris Biesanz, and Mavis Hiltunen Biesanz, The Costa Ricans (1982; rev. ed. 1988).

Additional Bibliography

Fernández Alfaro, Joaquín Alberto. Oduber: El hombre, el político, el estadista, su pensamiento. San José: Editorial Universidad Estatal a Distancia, 1997.

Obregón Valverde, Enrique. Semblanzas: Dirigentes históricos del Partido Liberación Nacional. San José: [s.n.], 1998.

                                    John Patrick Bell