First Lady or First Gentleman of Costa Rica (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: ''Primera dama o Primer caballero de Costa Rica'') is the title of the wife or husband of the

president of Costa Rica The president of the Republic of Costa Rica is the head of state and head of government of Costa Rica. The president is currently elected in direct elections for a period of four years, which is not immediately renewable. Two Vice President of C ...

. Traditionally, the president's wife was colloquially known as ''la presidenta'' ("the president", with a feminine -a ending). The current term was first used under

Federico Alberto Tinoco Granados General José Federico Alberto de Jesús Tinoco Granados (21 November 1868 – 7 September 1931) was a politician, soldier, and the Dictator of Costa Rica from 1917 to 1919. Biography Tinoco was born in 1868. On 5 June 1898 in San José, ...

Operations

The Office of First Lady of First Gentleman is allocated no official funding from the

government budget A government budget is a document prepared by the government and/or other political entity presenting its anticipated tax revenues (Inheritance tax, income tax, corporation tax, import taxes) and proposed spending/expenditure (Healthcare, Educa ...

of Costa Rica. Instead, the office and officeholder relies on private donations to cover the expenses. These funds support the first lady's causes and foundations, which traditionally focus on cultural, environmental, and social issues. The office of Leila Rodríguez Stahl, the first lady 2002 to 2006, had a staff of approximately 60 at its largest. However, many of those staffers worked

pro bono ( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...

or were employed temporarily from other government offices.

First ladies and gentlemen of Costa Rica (1847–present)

References

{{First Ladies and Gentlemen

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...