Francisco José Orlich Bolmarcich (10 March 1907 – 29 October 1969) was President of Costa Rica from 1962 to 1966. He also ran for the presidency in 1958, but lost to Mario Echandi. His grandfather on the Orlich side and his mother came to Costa Rica from the town of Punat on the island of Krk, Croatia. His villa in Punat is named "Villa Costarica".
Together with his brothers he founded in 1928 FJ Orlich & Hnos Ltda. (FJ Orlich & Brothers Limited). At first a large supply store in his hometown of San Ramón, this eventually grew to become one of Costa Rica's largest coffee firms.
A long-time friend of José Figueres, with whom he had traveled together to study in the United States, Orlich was Figueres' second in command within the National Liberation Army in the 1948 Civil War.
Following that, the National Liberation Party was founded in the Orlich family farm in La Paz, San Ramón.
He twice served as Public Works Minister (1948-1949, 1953-1956) in Figueres' cabinets. After that he ran for president in 1958, but lost against Mario Echandi. He ran again in 1962, against the defeated 1948 leader Dr Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, when he won the presidency.
Always called by his countrymen 'Don Chico', during his presidency he faced the major eruption of the Irazú volcano, that started just as U.S. President John F. Kennedy was visiting Costa Rica and lasted for over a year, causing major agricultural damage and landslides in the city of Cartago.
Don Chico left the presidency as a well loved figure and died of a stroke three years later.
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| Persondata | |
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| Name | Orlich Bolmarcich, Francisco |
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| Date of birth | 10 March 1907 |
| Place of birth | San Ramón |
| Date of death | 29 October 1969 |
| Place of death | San José, Costa Rica |
Famous quotes containing the word francisco:
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—Ben Hecht (1893–1964)