... Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia ( Politician ) ...
by Infocostarica Staff

His candidacy was proposed by the same party that had governed by many years, the Republican Party. Nevertheless, in spite of the support of the capitalist groups, the Dr Calderón Social Christian ideas, that he aquired when he made his studies in Brussels, Belgium, prevailed during his administration. This explains the important social reform that he made with monumental achievements like the incorporation of the social guarantees in the 1871 constitution and the creation of the University of Costa Rica in August 20th of 1940, which was of great importance since it produced labor mobility, the Labor Code in 1943 which complemented the social guarantees that the workers had obtained. He also created the Social Security, a very important institution for the Costa Rican society. All these reforms were reached with the aid of the religious sector headed by Monsignor Sanabria and the Popular Vanguard Party.

For some authors the social reforms were a triumph of the bourgeoisie and they debilitated the lower classes since in a way they clipped the revolutionary objectives that fueled the party in its beginnings, nevertheless this legislation helped the development of the syndicalism, since the workers became aware of their class condition.

In 1943 the Costa Rican Confederation of Workers was created by the Communist Party. On the other hand Monsignor Sanabria ordered the creation of the " Rerum Novarum" labor organization, this way the Church took part in the organization of the labor movement and resisted the intervention of Communism.

Other important aspects of the government of Dr. Calderón Guardia were, the solution of the bordering problem with Panama in 1941 with the treaty Echandi Montero - Fernandez Jaen; the declaration of war to the Axis Rome Berlin Tokyo, as a result of the attack of Japanese to the American base of Pearl Harbor in December 11th of 1941; the derogation of the monopoly of the gasoline that became a state monopoly.

The government of the Dr Calderón had certain liberal tendencies, yet, he was also, very conservative, for example in education he canceled the anticlerical laws of 1884, for that reason the eminently non-religious character that had branded Costa Rica's education was lost and again allowed the religious orders to enter the country to teach and restored the education of the religion in the public schools.

The government had to face serious criticism from diverse sectors of the country, who did not take kindly to its reforms and that criticized its interests in the working class, its relation with the Communism and the monopoly of the electricity that was given away into the hands of foreign companies. The government of the Dr Calderón Guardia had great importance for the Costa Rican society and the credit he deserves for the social reform cannot be ignored.