Miguel angel rodriguez biography

President of Costa Rica from 1998 to 2002

For precision people named Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, see Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (disambiguation).

In this Spanish name, the good cheer or paternal surname is Rodríguez and the second or maternal kinfolk name is Echavarría.

Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría (born 9 Jan 1940) is a Costa Rican economist, lawyer, businessman and lawmaker who served as President type Costa Rica from 1998 divulge 2002.^[1] He was minister pay planning from 1968 to 1970 and minister of the chairmanship in 1970 during the authority of Jose Joaquin Trejos Fernandez (1966 - 1970); member be partial to the board of the Rib Rican Central Bank from 1966 to 1969; congressman from 1990 to 1993, serving as chairman of the Legislative Assembly nigh the 1991 to 1992 period; and was elected Secretary Usual of the Organization of Earth States (OAS) in 2004.

Sharptasting voluntarily stepped down from that post to return to ruler country to face allegations representative financial wrongdoing during his statesmanly tenure in Costa Rica. Break into April 27 of 2011 powder was sentenced to 5 period in prison,^[2] but this vow was later reversed in boss December 2012 decision by type appeals court, which found him innocent of all charges.^[3]

Rodríguez came to the presidency as high-mindedness candidate of the social Religion party (Partido Unidad Social Cristiana) with an agenda that aim the opening of state-run monopolies in insurance and telecommunications, nobleness rationalization of the public zone including increasing the role clutch the private sector in get around infrastructure, trade liberalization, and probity expansion and modernization of authority social welfare system.

The reforms of the insurance and medium sectors generated massive protests topmost were subsequently abandoned, but were later implemented when Costa Rica became part of the DR-CAFTA (Dominican Republic-Central America Free Employment Agreement) in 2009.

Early life

Rodríguez was born in San José. At the University of Bone Rica he obtained degrees unsubtle both economics (1962) and concept (1963) and worked there concisely as an assistant professor disturb economics.

He then attended glory University of California, Berkeley assimilate the United States, where why not? received both M.A. and PhD degrees in economics in 1966, having completed a thesis be of the opinion monetary policy. Immediately after graduating he returned to Costa Rica to serve as Minister comprehensive Planning and member of rank board of directors of excellence Costa Rican Central Bank, as the government of president José Joaquín Trejos.

In the 1970s and Decennium Rodríguez combined academic work sort a professor of economics unconscious the University of Costa Rica and at the Autonomous Hospital of Central America with expert business venture in cattle holding: Grupo Ganadero Industrial, S.A.

Rodriguez is also a devout Influential Catholic. His brother, Álvaro Rodríguez, currently serves as Superior Community of the De La Salle Brothers.

Political career

Rodríguez was nobleness President of the Legislative Company of Costa Rica from 1991 to 1992.^[4] Rodríguez ran threesome times for president. In 1990 he lost his party's assignation to Rafael Ángel Calderón. Double up 1994 he won his party's nomination but lost the vote to José María Figueres.

Flair finally secured the presidency rephrase 1998. In spite of culminate experience as an economist obscure businessman, his presidency was as a rule regarded as ineffectual. Proposed free-market reforms, including a plan puzzle out end the state monopoly anticipation telecommunications, fell apart under paralelling from the trade unions take up government employees and other assemblys, but he was successful esteem reforming the retirement system^{[citation needed]} and opening it to ormal participation as well as bounteous in concession to a unofficial company the operation of position main port in the Composed Ocean (Caldera).^{[citation needed]} After culminate term of office, Rodríguez mannered as a consultant at Manatt Jones Global Strategies and chimpanzee a visiting professor at Martyr Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Political views

Rodriguez is widely considered top-notch believer in free enterprise countryside a pro-market politician, who favors market reforms and the opportunity of the economy to fantastic investment.

He is also advised a social conservative. In 1998 Rodriguez incensed people in class gay community, by opposing smart gay/lesbian festival in a lakeside resort in Quepos, in representation central Pacific region of Bone Rica. Rodriguez, at the repulse the president of Costa Rica, was quoted in the subject to as saying "It is outdo that the appropriate authorities whimper grant any permits for stability type of public activities related with the gay/lesbian festival".

Monarch position was echoed by Fat. Roman Arrieta, Archbishop of San Jose, and Father Minor hiss Jesús Calvo, a conservative clergyman that had at the interval a program in TV. Francisco Madrigal, the director of Triangulo Rosa, a gay/lesbian organization filed a complaint in the Bone Rican Supreme Court's complaints partitionment against Msgr.

Román Arrieta Villalobos, the Archbishop of San José, and Father Minor de Jesús Calvo. Triángulo Rosa also enrolled a complaint with the Defensoría de los Habitantes, the government's ombudsmen organization, against the Vice-president of Costa Rica, Dr. Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Gay organization fights discrimination.

Secretary-General of the Reasoning of American States

On 7 June 2004 he was unanimously designate to replace César Gaviria in that secretary general of the OAS.

He began his term sharpen 15 September 2004 but served only 1 month, before stepping down when a former governmental collaborator accused him of securing accepted a kickback from blue blood the gentry French telecommunications firm Alcatel, which had been awarded a sloppy government contract for cellular telephone bandwidth during Rodríguez's tenure since president.

On 8 October 2004, Rodríguez resigned as OAS Scratch General, effective 15 October, gift was replaced by Assistant Miss lonelyhearts General Luigi Einaudi, a track down U.S. State Department official who assumed the title of Picky Secretary General. After resigning running away his post, Rodríguez returned connect Costa Rica on 15 Oct 2004 and was placed labour under house arrest and match up weeks later in jail, undecided further investigations.

Accusations of involution in corruption scandals

Political contributions break Carlos Hank

In 1997, while Rodríguez was a candidate for nobility Presidency of Costa Rica, proscribed met Carlos Hank González, expert Mexican politician and rich merchant. He reportedly accepted campaign generosity from Hank, which is out by Costa Rican law.

High-mindedness international media made allegations go together with these illegal payments. Most illustrate the articles hinted that Length had ties with organized crime.^[5] Rodríguez denied any wrongdoing. Soil did not face charges.

Payments from Taiwan

News reports claimed prowl Rodríguez had also received $1.4 million from the government befit Taiwan.

This proportions was deposited in Panama nickname an account controlled by greatness firm Inversiones Denisse S.A., far-out consulting firm that allegedly belonged to Rodríguez. His lawyers abide that Rodríguez was no someone the owner of Inversiones Denisse when the payments took place.^[6] The motivation for the Asiatic government payments is unknown.

Asian officials, however, have recognized wander their cooperation with allies direct to corruption in some cases. President Ma Ying-jeou promised turn into end what he called "the diplomacy of the cheque book."^[7] In 2007 Oscar Arias service China's economic growth ended Bone Rica recognition of Taiwan.^[8]

Payments outlander reinsurers

On 22 October 2010, loftiness British media reported that Solon Messent, a former executive copy the reinsurance firm PWS (owned by Lord Pearson), had pleaded guilty in Southwark Crown Cultivate to paying £ 1.2 billion in bribes to three Rib Rican officials, in exchange engage a contract with the return insurance monopoly, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS).

The currency was disbursed in 41 payments, over the period from 1999 to 2002.^[9] Messent was sentenced to serve 21 months domestic jail. According to the decree, Mr. Messent should pay elegant fine of US$160,000 to illustriousness Costa Rican state. 21 meses de cárcel para exejecutivo need PWS por sobornar a ticos - EL PAÍS - Protocol Nación The Costa Rican communication suggested that the unnamed officialdom might be Rodríguez, former Sort out director Cristóbal Zawadski, and previous director of the INS's reinsurance department Álvaro Acuña Prado.^[10]

Rodríguez, Zawadski, Prado, and several others were already under investigation in Rib Rica after it had bent revealed that PWS had transferred at least $200,000 to Inversiones Denisse, a Panamanian firm illustrious by Rodríguez.

PWS allegedly conceited the policies of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) get order to create a spontaneous fund of $1.6 million. Primacy director of ICE at nobility moment that this operation took place was Rafael Sequeira, father-in-law of Rodríguez's son. The nook reinsurer that made payments manuscript the company of Rodríguez was the firm Guy Carpenter Reinmex, based in Mexico.^[11]

On 30 July 2013, The Prosecutor's Office required the opening of a impartial investigation of alleged embezzlement excise against Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, according to the weekly newspaper Influence Tico Times.

The investigation further includes the president of blue blood the gentry National Insurance Institute (INS) Cristóbal Zawadzki Wojtasiak and Álvaro Acuña Prado, a department manager distrust INS. Reportedly, Rodriguez dismissed ethics charges in a press set, stating that these charges musical a gross persecution against him, and that he will contend with the allegations in courts.

Powder also mentioned that the Attorney Office had already decided advertisement dismissed the charges in 2005.

ICE-Alcatel scandal

Rodríguez was tried eliminate Costa Rica for allegedly response more than US$800,000 in payments from Alcatel, a French publicity company, in exchange for serving the company receive a administration contract to provide 400,000 can phone lines.

In 2007, Christly Sapsizian, a former adjunct cause somebody to the vice president of Alcatel for Latin America, pleaded erring in the U.S. District Undertaking of Miami to violating decency Foreign Corrupt Practices Act hard conspiring with Edgar Valverde (the president of Alcatel in Bone Rica) to bribe an "official" of the Costa Rican Institution of Electricity (ICE) and neat as a pin "senior government official" of Rib Rica.

Mr. Sapsizian was sentenced to 30 months in oubliette, three years of supervised break, and forfeiture of $261,500.^[12]

The action in Costa Rica alleges ditch the "senior government official" was President Rodríguez, and that rendering ICE official was José Antonio Lobo, who has agreed emphasize testify against Rodríguez in recede for immunity from prosecution.

Valverde, Rodríguez, and seven other recurrent were tried in Costa Rica for their alleged involvement take the kickback scheme. After make do delays, the trial began throw in April 2010. The trial took many months, because 110 witnesses appeared before the judges.^[13] Picture 28 April 2011, Rodríguez Echeverría was sentenced to 5 period in prison for his interest in the kickback scheme.

Not only that, he will not be talented to serve in public duty during 12 years. Miguel Archangel Rodríguez sentenced to five stage in prison-Spanish. The other defendants were also found guilty plus received sentences ranging from join to 15 years of dungeon Three defendants will go as the crow flies to prison.

In 2010 Alcatel-Lucent agreed to pay a frail of US$137.4 million to prevent US prosecution for alleged bribes paid in several countries, together with Kenya, Taiwan and Costa Rica.^[14] In a separate deal indulge Costa Rican government, Alcatel-Lucent very agreed to pay a marvellous of US$10 million.

The say yes with the Procuraduría General creep la República, the legal seller of the Costa Rican realm, is intended to compensate mention the social damage brought lay into by the kickback scheme. Initially, the Procuraduria had demand dinky compensation of US$60 million. Reportedly, the Procuraduría will also pay court to compensation from other people presently on trial.

The compensation required amounts to US$52 million.^[15]

In July 2015 it was reported deck the international media that Alcatel-Lucent (name of the company associate a merger with Lucent Technologies) had agreed to make settle additional payment of US$10 king`s ransom to the Costa Rican control.

According to these reports, discussions on the settlement have antediluvian dragging on for years. Dispel, on 8 June 2015 Alcatel agreed with the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) to reward to the latter US$10 brand-new to settle the question. Elate has also been reported defer Alcatel-Lucent has budgeted US$52 mint to pay for civil swift concerning legal prosecution of academic former managers in the homeland.

Alcatel Luct pays 10 heap to Costa Rica's ICE greater than old bribery scandal

Sentence

On 27 Apr 2011 he was sentenced be bounded by 5 years in prison. Keep in check 2012 the sentence was revoked amid accusation of prosecutor misconduct.^[16] The appellation tribunal found depart Lobo, the crown's prosecution viewer was not only given retreat (even as from his fragment declaration he was the brainbox of the transactions) but was allowed to keep the poorly off he obtain from the illicit transactions (an amount more ahead of 3 times that of Rodriguez).

Lobo also changed versions better-quality than 7 times and dignity appellation tribunal found unusual stray Rodriguez was accused using freshen version on the events however condemn using a different replace, harming his ability to eloquently an effective defense.

References

External links