Costa Rica President

President: Oscar Arias

Nobel laureate Oscar Arias defeated former minister Otton Solis in closely-fought presidential elections in February 2006 in Costa Rica and took office in May. Mr Solis conceded after a manual count and a series of legal challenges.

Oscar Arias won re-election by a narrow margin
Oscar Arias promised to stabilise the economy and to clamp down on corruption in government. He says he aims to put Costa Rica on course to become Latin America's most developed nation.
The president champions the ratification of a Central American free trade pact with the US. Costa Ricans are divided over the proposed accord.
Mr Arias was president from 1986-90 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his role in talks that helped to end two civil wars in the region.
Born in 1940, he studied in Costa Rica and Britain. He is a divorcee and a father of two.
His predecessor, Abel Pacheco of the conservative Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), backed free market reforms. But he inherited a struggling economy and his privatisation and tax reform plans met with strong opposition in Costa Rica.