Rafael Anselmo José Iglesias Castro, also known as Rafael Yglesias (18 April 1861 – 10 April 1924) was a Costa Rican politician and businessman who served as the 16th President of Costa Rica from 1894 to 1902, for two consecutive terms. The founder of the Civil Party, he was the second-youngest person to assume the presidency.
Early life and education
He was born to Demetrio Iglesias Llorente and Eudoxia Castro Fernandez, whose father was also president, the "Founder of the Republic" José María Castro who served two terms, 1847–1849 and 1866–1868. Iglesias traveled to the United States and to Europe to further his education. He also studied law at the University of Santo Tomas, but was unable to complete his studies and left in 1878 due to his parents' economic difficulties at the time. He went into business, but did not meet with much success in that arena.
He got married in a civil ceremony to Rosa Banuet Ross in Cartago. They had two girls, Berta and Rosa (*official records of this marriage were destroyed in the earthquake of Cartago in 1910). He served as Secretary of War and Navy from 1890 to 1894. Iglesias and Rosa were divorced due to family pressure, and he married Manuela Petronila de la Trinidad Rodríguez Alvarado, daughter of President José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón (1890–1894). She was a private woman, and did not share his enthusiasm for the political arena. They had a happy domestic partnership, and produced eleven children; Miguel, Eduardo, Luisa, Eudoxia, Bernardo Rafael, Margarita, Maria de los Angeles, Manuel, Jose Maria and Rafael.
Presidency (1894–1902)
In 1894, at the age of 33, Iglesias was elected president by a majority of 23,000 votes, and his election was marked with by largest voter turnout to date. Upon his election, he made official visits to Paris and London. He had an audience with Queen Victoria, for whom he had great respect. Duly impressed by the technological advancements he saw in Europe, he decided to return to Costa Rica and modernize it.
He completed the construction of a national theater (Teatro Nacional), and was present at its inaugural performance of Faust presented by a French company under the auspices of Frederic Aubrey. He established the colon as the unit of currency, and put Costa Rica on the gold standard. He completed the Atlantic to Pacific railway,