Editing Mario Echandi Jiménez

{{Short description|President of Costa Rica from 1958 to 1962}}
{{Family name hatnote|Echandi|Jiménez|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Mario Echandi Jimenéz
| image               = Mario Echandi Jimenez cropped.jpg
| order               = 33rd [[President of Costa Rica]]
| term_start          = 8 May 1958
| term_end            = 8 May 1962
| vicepresident       = [[Abelardo Bonilla Baldares]]<br />[[José Joaquín Peralta Esquivel]]
| predecessor         = [[José Figueres Ferrer]]
| successor           = [[Francisco Orlich]]
| party               = [[National Union Party (Costa Rica)|National Union Party]] (during term)<br />[[National Unification Party (Costa Rica)|National Unification Party]] (after term)
| birth_date          = {{Birth date |1915|06|17|df=yes}}
| birth_place         = [[San José, Costa Rica]]
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|2011|07|30|1915|6|17|df=yes}}
| death_place         = San José, Costa Rica
| signature           = Firma Mario Echandi Jimenez.jpg
}}
'''Mario José Echandi Jiménez''' (17 June 1915<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E2BhSGpxwMcC&q=Mario+Jos%C3%A9+Echandi+Jim%C3%A9nez&pg=PA33 |title = Nuestros gobernantes: Verdades del pasado para comprender el futuro|isbn = 9789977677019|last1 = Obregón|first1 = Clotilde María|year = 2002| publisher=Editorial Universidad de Costa Rica }}</ref> – 30 July 2011) was the 33rd [[President of Costa Rica]], serving from 1958 to 1962.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tse.go.cr/pdf/ifed/PresidentesCR-Cuadros.pdf|title=El Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones: Presidentes de la República de Costa Rica}}</ref>

== As diplomat ==
Mario Echandi was a career diplomat.
Prior to his election, he had served as Costa Rica's ambassador to the United States and as the country's representative to both the [[United Nations]] and the [[Organization of American States]] (1949–1950).
He also served as the minister of foreign affairs (1950–1952) under President [[Otilio Ulate Blanco|Otilio Ulate]] and in the [[Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica|Legislative Assembly]] during President [[José Figueres Ferrer|José Figueres]]'s second term in office (1953–1958).

== His presidency ==
President Echandi won the 1958 election by 102.851 votes as candidate of the [[National Union Party (Costa Rica)|National Union Party]]. Francisco J. Orlich was candidate of [[National Liberation Party (Costa Rica)|National Liberation Party]] with 94.778 and Jorge Rossi had 23.910 votes with the Independent Party. .<ref name="auto">Historía de Costa Rica, Monge Alfaro, Carlos. edición #16, Imprenta Trejos, 1980, page 304</ref> During his administration some important laws were passed. The "Ley de Aguinaldo" law gave an extra yearly salary to all workers. A law that created the national service for clean water was approved.<ref name="auto"/> The law that created a national institute for land reform and colonization. (ITCO law). The first national plan for transit and roads was created, to build a network of highways and roads in the country.<ref name="auto"/>

== National reconciliation ==
During his administration some political figures were allowed to return from exile, like the former president [[Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia]]. His followers were allowed to return to the country and organize politically.<ref>Historía de Costa Rica, Monge Alfaro, Carlos. edición #16, Imprenta Trejos, 1980, page 305</ref>

== After his presidency ==
He ran for the presidency on two further occasions – 1970 and 1982 – but was defeated on both.

== Death ==
Echandi died on 30 July 2011 at the age of 96 from pneumonia after a heart attack.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nacion.com/2011-07-30/ElPais/Fallecio--expresidente-Mario-Echandi-Jimenez-(1958-1962).aspx |title=Falleció expresidente Mario Echandi Jiménez (1958–1962) – EL PAÍS – la Nación |accessdate=30 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110731030605/http://www.nacion.com/2011-07-30/ElPais/Fallecio--expresidente-Mario-Echandi-Jimenez-(1958-1962).aspx |archivedate=31 July 2011  }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mycostaricanews.com/pinnacle-figure-in-costa-rican-politics-dies-at-96/ |title=Pinnacle Figure in Costa Rican Politics Dies at 96 &#124; My Costa Rica News |access-date=22 October 2017 |archive-date=23 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023063605/http://www.mycostaricanews.com/pinnacle-figure-in-costa-rican-politics-dies-at-96/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> His wife died in 2001.

==References==
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{{succession box|title=[[President of Costa Rica]]|before=[[José Figueres Ferrer]]|after=[[Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich]]|years=1958–1962}}
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{{CostaRicaPresidents}}

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[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:People from San José, Costa Rica]]
[[Category:20th-century presidents of Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Members of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica]]
[[Category:National Union Party (Costa Rica) politicians]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Costa Rica to the United States]]
[[Category:Permanent representatives of Costa Rica to the United Nations]]
[[Category:Permanent representatives of Costa Rica to the Organization of American States]]
[[Category:National Unification Party (Costa Rica) politicians]]
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Ministers of foreign affairs of Costa Rica]]
[[Category:20th-century Costa Rican politicians]]