15 famous people from Costa Rica who make their fellow citizens proud
Costa Rica is one of the Central American countries considered stable with a functioning democratic government. Its capital city is San Jose. The country is home to many stars doing exceptionally well in various fields. Discover some of the famous people from Costa Rica.
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To gain fame, one must be exceptionally talented or do something extraordinary that captivates many people. Famous Costa Ricans have made a mark globally through their benevolence in sports, music, arts, and politics. They have excelled in their professions and have a considerable following.
Most famous people from Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a diversity of cultures and ethnicities with phenomenal people whose remarkable achievements have made a difference. How many famous Costa Rican people do you know? Here is a compilation of the Costa Rican stars worth knowing.
Jose Figueres Ferrer
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José María Hipólito Figueres Ferrer served as Costa Rican President from 1948 to 1949, 1953 to 1958, and 1970 to 1974. Fought and won the most horrendous civil wars in Costa Rica and founded the Social democratic Party. He was awarded by the Chinese Republic the Shining Star in 1955. He helped turn around the weakened economy of Costa Rica by discovering new markets during his third term
Laura Chinchilla Miranda
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Among Costa Rica's famous people is the first female President who served Costa Rica from 2010 to 2014. In Latin American countries, Laura is the eighth woman president. She served as Vice-President to Oscar Arias Sanchez. She currently teaches at Georgetown University and is a powerful Latin American woman.
Juan Santamaria
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Juan is one of the important people from Costa Rica, a greatly celebrated hero to date whose death is commemorated annually on 11 April. He was gunned down while torching William Walker's hostel, saving Costa Rica from being colonized by him.
Yokaste Valle
Yokaste Galeth Valle Alvarez is another famous Costa Rican. She is a professional boxer, born on 28 August 1992 in Nicaragua, Costa Rica. According to her Instagram profile, she is a five-time Boxing World Champion.
Valle bagged the 2016 IBF female junior Mini Flyweight title and the 2019 IBF female Mini Flyweight World Champion. In May 2020, Yokaste was ranked the world's fourth-best mini-flyweight active female by BoxRec as of May 2020.
Giannina Facio
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Giannina is among the famous celebrities from Costa Rica. She is an actress and producer born on 10 September 1955. She made her acting debut in 1984 when she appeared in the film Poppers. Giannina is known for her notable roles in films such as Kingdom of Heaven, Body of Lies and The Counselor.
Oscar Arias
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Oscar Rafael de Jesus Arias Sanchez served as the President of Costa Rica from 2006 to 2010. Previously, he had served as President from 1986 to 1990, bagging the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for outstanding efforts in ending the civil war that raged in other Central American Countries at that time. He was elected in 2003 to the Board of Directors of the International Criminal Courts Trust Fund for Victims.
Julio Cesar Cascante
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This professional footballer is among the famous Costa Rican people, born on 3 October 1993. In Costa Rica, he played for Deportivo Saprissa, Universidad de Costa Rica and Orion. On 2 January 2018, he signed with MLS side Portland Timbers, who traded him to Austin FC on 13 December 2020.
Deborah Nowalski Kader
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Deborah, better known by her stage name, Debi Nova, is among the Costa Rican celebrities with an outstanding record. She is a singer and songwriter. Debi has collaborated with artists such as Sean Paul, Sergio Mendes, Black Eyed Peas and Ricky Martin. Her hit tracks include Drummer Boy, Bachata Rosa, and We Were Young.
Joel Campbell
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One of Costa Rica's famous people is Joel Nathaniel Campbell Samuels. He is a professional footballer playing forward for Costa Rica's national team and Liga Deportiva Alajuelense. Joel joined Arsenal football club in 2011 and later was loaned to French side Lorient, Spanish club Real Betis, and Greek outfit Olympiacos.
Paulo Cesar Wanchope Watson
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Paulo is also on the list of the Costa Rica famous people. He was born in Heredia, Costa Rica, on 31 July 1976. Paulo Wanchope is a former footballer. In 1995, he participated in FIFA World Youth Championship finals in Qatar, playing for Costa Rica's youth national team.
Franklin Chang Diaz
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Franklin Ramon Chang Diaz is a renowned engineer, physicist, and formerly an astronaut at NASA. A veteran of seven Space Shuttle missions, record holder of most spaceflights as of 2008. The first astronaut who is a naturalized US citizen and Latino American to take a spaceflight. He is the current Ad Astra Rocket Company President and CEO.
Claudia Poll
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Claudia Maria Poll Ahrens is a swimming National Record Holder and a 1996 200-metre freestyle Olympic gold medalist. She was the first Central American and Costa Rican citizen to win an Olympic gold medal. In the 2000 Olympics, Claudia bagged two bronze medals.
Nery Antonio Brenes Cardenas
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Nery Brenes is also among the Costa Rican celebrities with a remarkable record in the world of athletics. He was born in September 1985. Brenes participated in the 400m sprint at the Beijing Olympics 2008, the IAAF World Indoor Championships 2012, and the World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan 2007.
Christiana Figueres
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Karen Christiana Figueres Olsen is a diplomat who served in multilateral policy negotiations nationally and internationally. In July 2010, she was appointed to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as the Executive Secretary.
Epsy Alejandra Campbell Barr
The list of famous Costa Ricans will be incomplete without the mention of Epsy Campbel. She is an economist and politician who served from 8 May 2018 to 8 May 2022 as the vice president of Costa Rica. She is the first African-descent woman to hold such an office in Latin American countries. Epsy is the founder of the Citizen's Action Party and vied for the presidency in 2010 and 2014.
Many famous people from Costa Rica have made remarkable achievements and impacts on the local and international stages. They have left an indelible mark on Costa Rica's culture and helped to put the nation on a global map.
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