Editing Rafael Iglesias Castro

{{Family name hatnote|Iglesias|Castro|lang=Spanish}}
{{Short description|Costa Rican politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name         = Rafael Iglesias Castro
| image        = Rafael Yglesias Castro.jpg
| office       = 16th [[President of Costa Rica]]
| term_start   = 8 May 1894
| term_end     = 8 May 1902
| predecessor  = [[José Joaquín Rodríguez]]
| successor    = [[Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra]]
| office2      = 
| term_start2  = 
| term_end2    = 
| predecessor2 = 
| successor2   = 
| party        = Civil
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|df=yes|1861|4|18}}
| birth_place  = [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]], Costa Rica
| death_date   = 10 April 1924 (aged 62)
| death_place  = San José, Costa Rica
| spouse       = Rosa Banuet Ross, Manuela Petronila de la Trinidad Rodríguez Alvarado
| children     = 
| occupation   = [[Politician]]
| signature    = Firma Rafael Iglesias.png
}}
{{In line citation|date=January 2023}}
'''Rafael Anselmo José Iglesias Castro''', also known as '''Rafael Yglesias'''<ref>Civil Registry, sons identity numbers: 100530897; 100396213; 101520266.</ref> (18 April 1861 – 10 April 1924) was a Costa Rican politician who served as [[President of Costa Rica]] for two consecutive periods from 1894 to 1902.<ref>{{cite book |last=Diaz-Arias |first=D. |last2=Hurtado |first2=R.V. |last3=Hernández |first3=J.J.M. |title=Historical Dictionary of Costa Rica |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |series=Historical Dictionaries of the Americas |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-5381-0242-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TClxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA281 |access-date=4 November 2024 |page=281}}</ref><ref>[http://www.tse.go.cr/pdf/ifed/PresidentesCR-Cuadros.pdf El Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones: Presidentes de la República de Costa Rica]</ref>

== Biography ==

He was born to Demetrio Iglesias Llorente and Eudoxia Castro Fernandez, whose father was also president, the "Founder of the Republic" [[José María Castro Madriz|José María Castro]] who served two terms, 1847–1849 and 1866–1868. Iglesias traveled to the [[United States]] and to [[Europe]] to further his education. He also studied law at the [[University of Santo Tomas]], but was unable to complete his studies due to his parents' economic difficulties at the time.  He went into business, but did not meet with much success in that arena.

He got married in a civil ceremony to Rosa Banuet Ross in [[Cartago, Costa Rica|Cartago.]] They had two girls, Berta and Rosa (*official records of this marriage were destroyed in the earthquake of Cartago in 1910). He served as Minister of War from 1890-4. Iglesias and Rosa were divorced due to family pressure, and he married Manuela Petronila de la Trinidad Rodríguez Alvarado, daughter of President [[José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón]] (1890–1894). She was a private woman, and did not share his enthusiasm for the political arena.  They had a happy domestic partnership, and produced eleven children; Miguel, Eduardo, Luisa, Eudoxia, Bernardo Rafael, Margarita, Maria de los Angeles, Manuel, Jose Maria and Rafael.

== Presidency ==

In 1894, at the age of 33, Iglesias was elected president by a majority of 23,000, and his election was marked with by largest voter turnout to date. Upon his election, he made official visits to Paris and London.  He had an audience with [[Queen Victoria]], for whom he had great respect.  Duly impressed by the technological advancements he saw in Europe, he decided to return to Costa Rica and modernize it.

He completed the construction of a national theater ([[Teatro Nacional (San Jose)|Teatro Nacional]]),<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=mncr |date=6 November 2019 |title=Rafael Yglesias Castro « Galería de Exmandatarios « Museo Nacional de Costa Rica |url=https://www.museocostarica.go.cr/divulgacion/temas-especiales/galeria-expresidentes/rafael-yglesias-castro/ |access-date=10 June 2024 |website=Museo Nacional de Costa Rica |language=es-CR}}</ref> and was present at its inaugural performance of ''[[Faust (opera)|Faust]]'' presented by a French company under the auspices of Frederic Aubrey.  He established the [[Colón (currency)|colon]] as the unit of currency, and put Costa Rica on the [[gold standard]].  He completed the Atlantic to Pacific railway,<ref name=":0" /> and built up the coastal town of [[Limón|Puerto Limon.]] In addition, he set up a department of sanitation in the city.

He oversaw the building of an [[electric tram]],<ref name=":0" /> and brought municipal electricity to the city of [[Heredia, Costa Rica|Heredia]]. He established a house of correction for minors.  He also instituted educational reforms, establishing a precedent for text books to be authored by Costa Rican citizens.  A firm believer in public education, he founded a school for the arts (Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes) in 1897.

Iglesias was the first president to send a scientific expedition to [[Cocos Island|Isla del Coco.]] Hearing of its rich natural resources, Iglesias closed the penal colony that was there, and decreed the island a nature preserve.

Iglesias established a system of emergency health care in the provinces.  In 1895, Congress approved a measure to create a board of medicine, surgery and pharmacy, composed of all the doctors, surgeons and pharmacists that had been nationally certified.  In 1902, he established the pharmaceutical college (Instituto de Farmacia).
[[File:Rafael Iglesias Castro.png|thumb|Rafael Iglesias Castro, in his later life]]
He tried to amend the constitution to allow for a third term, but was defeated.  He ran for president again in 1909 and 1913, but was never re-elected.

== Later life and death ==

Iglesias still kept his hand in politics, and served, in 1919, as [[Plenipotentiary]] [[Ambassador]] to [[Guatemala]].

Iglesias died in San Jose in 1924, and was buried in the Cementerio General de San Jose.

In 1981 he was awarded the title of "Benemerito de la Patria" for his years of service.
[[File:Billete 5 colones 1968-1992.jpg|thumb|5 colones bill]]
Rafael Iglesias appeared on Costa Rican paper money in the former denomination of 5 colones. This edition was first printed in 1968.

Also, Rafael Iglesias appeared on Costa Rica postal stamps, in different editions.

== Sources ==
{{Reflist}}
* Rafael Iglesias Castro – Carlos Calvo Gamboa, Ministerio de Cultura, Juventud y Deportes, Direccion de Publicaciones, San Jose, Costa Rica, 1980
* Personal Testimony – Berta Flores Iglesias, Iris Flores Schirmer, Fernando Flores Banuet

== External links ==
* ''[http://www.guiascostarica.com/presi/presi20.htm Rafael Iglesias Castro]'' at ''guiascostarica.com''
* ''[http://www.costaricaweb.com/general/presidentes.htm#20 Presidentes de Costa Rica: Rafael Iglesias Castro]'' at ''Costa Rica Web''

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{{succession box
| title = [[President of Costa Rica]]
| before = [[José Rodríguez Zeledón]]
| after = [[Ascensión Esquivel Ibarra]]
| years = 1894–1902
}}
{{s-end}}

{{CostaRicaPresidents}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Yglesias Castro, Rafael}}
[[Category:1861 births]]
[[Category:1924 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century Costa Rican people]]
[[Category:20th-century Costa Rican politicians]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Costa Rica to Guatemala]]
[[Category:Finance ministers of Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Politicians from San José, Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Presidents of Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Vice presidents of Costa Rica]]