The documentary First Lady of the Revolution tells the incredible story of a young woman from Alabama who played a crucial role in the political development of Costa Rica. Henrietta Boggs, a young woman from Birmingham, Alabama, went to visit her retired aunt and uncle at their farm in Costa Rica during the summer of 1940. Henrietta met her future husband, José Figueres, when he showed up one night to discuss farming with her uncle. Henrietta and Figueres began to converse while taking rides on his motorcycle. Eventually Figueres proposed to Henrietta and the two were married in 1941. In the film, Henrietta tells how Costa Rica’s new leader, who was considered to be progressive, was accused of nepotism and corruption. These accusations fueled the fire in Figueres who began to become involved in politics. Figueres began to speak out against the corrupt government which resulted in his imprisonment and later to his exile from Costa Rica. During Figueres’ exile, the married couple traveled throughout Central America and Mexico where they began smuggling arms into Costa Rica for the upcoming revolution. When the revolution ended in 1948, Figueres was president. While the film gives insight into the 1948 revolution in Costa Rica, the film mainly focuses on Henrietta and her life during this time and merely touches on the history of the corrupt government and the many changes made during Figueres’ time as President of Costa Rica. Figueres’ played a crucial role inthe political development of his country and instilled many social reforms that greatly improved the country.
A year before Henrietta and Figueres were married, Rafael Angel Calderon became the President of Costa Rica. Calderon reopened the University of Costa Rica, established the country’s social security system, and passed important bodies of law that guaranteed workers basic rights. While being considered a progressive, Calderon was also part of the “old-guard” political class that was known for being notoriously corrupt. Overtime, Calderon became increasingly authoritarian during his presidency. In 1942, a year after his marriage to Henrietta, Figueres was exiled from Costa Rica due to his radio broadcast that criticized Calderon’s administration. Halfway through his speech, Figueres was arrested and sentenced to exile. During his exile, Figueres formed alliances with other exiles and began buying arms to smuggle into Costa Rica to prepare for his planned revolution.
Upon his return to Costa Rica in 1944, he began propositioning for an armed uprising. A common misconception about the revolutions is that Figueres raised a ragtag army to rise against the Costa Rican government; however, Figueres’ revolution had been long planned. Calderon, who was trying to return to the presidency, was in opposition of Otilio Ulate. Ulate won the election by 10,000 votes; however, he had a fewer amount of seats in the legislature than Calderon. Calderon refused to acknowledge his defeat. To further show corruption, Calderon petitioned the legislature to nullify the results that showed Ulate as the victor. The legislature agreed to Calderon’s petition due to most of the members belonging to Calderon’s party. Ulate’s election being declared fraudulent provided Figueres the perfect opportunity to begin rising against the corrupt government like he had been planning since he was exiled. Figueres began furiously training and equipping his ragtag group of men to prepare for the upcoming revolution. The National Liberation Army continuously proved itself victorious over the Costa Rican army. Figueres and his revolutionaries were in the center of the civil war in 1948 being pitted against the Costa Rican army that consisted of three hundred men. President Picado asked Nicaragua for help in the revolution; however, the United States forbade Nicaragua to help Costa Rica. After forty-four days, the civil war ended due to the rebels winning a series of battles and being ready to take the capital of Costa Rica, San José. On April 19, Picado surrendered to Figueres and the revolutionaries.
Even though the revolution was supposed to put Ulate as President, Figueres was named head of the Founding Council which he ruled for eighteen months before handing over the presidency to Ulate. During this time, Costa Rica developed some of its most useful and socially conscious reforms that still stand today. Also during his time as head of the council, Figueres was essentially President. He and the council enacted several reforms. He introduced suffrage for women, eliminated the army, banned the Communist Party, and established a presidential term limit. Figueres also nationalized the banks and insurance companies, established a welfare system, and created a social service class. The absence of an army in Costa Rica is unique especially when considering it is surrounded by many countries that have deep conflicts. After the disbansion of the military, the budget was shifted to the many things such as the police force, education, and health care. In 1953, Figueres was once again put in power due to being elected as President of Costa Rica. During his second term as president, Figueres began to promote both private and public enterprise. He also continued to antagonize the dictators of neighboring countries. The principal innovation of Figuéres' second presidency was his agreement with the United Fruit Company which allowed for a much larger return to the government from the company’s profits. Figueres was elected a third time as the President of Costa Rica in 1970. During this presidency, he championed democracy and began to make international friends. Figueres, while already close with the United States, began to sell Costa Rican coffee in the Soviet Union. While known for doing great things in Costa Rica, his third presidency was marred with a scandal due to allowing a fugitive Robert Vesco to stay in Costa Rica. Fondly remembered by Costa Ricans, Figueres is seen as the architect of Costa Rican prosperity. While he did start a civil war, his intentions were to eradicate the crooked politicians in Costa Rica. He was also a firm believer in the electoral process. Once in power, Figueres refused to act like his predecessors and commit fraud to keep his power. Also, he invited observers from the United Nations to help with the 1958 election where his candidate lost. Figueres is largely responsible for Costa Rica’s prosperity, safety, and peacefulness it is known for today. In Costa Rica, democracy is both a government and a source of pride. Overall, Figueres played a crucial role in the political development of his country that forever changed it.
Works Cited
“Costa Rica: The Revolution of 1948, A Cause and Effect Analysis – El Espíritu Del 48.” El Espíritu Del 48, elespiritudel48.org/costa-rica-the-revolution-of-1948-
a-cause-and-effect-analysis/.
DeFore, John. “'First Lady of the Revolution': Film Review.”
The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2016,
www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/first-lady-revolution-954289.
Ferrer.", "José Figuéres. “José Figuéres Ferrer.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, Encyclopedia.com, 2018, www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/costa-rican-
history-biographies/jose-figueres- ferrer.
Minster, Christopher. “José ‘Pepe’ Figueres - Biography and Legacy.” ThoughtCo,
ThoughtCo, www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-jose-pepe-figueres-2136347.
Stanley, Katherine. “Discovering Henrietta: The Alabama Woman Who Became Costa Rica's
First Lady.” The Tico Times Costa Rica, 29 Feb. 2016, www.ticotimes.net/
tico_longform_post/discovering-henrietta-the-alabama-woman-w ho-became-
costa-ricas-first-lady.
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