Gerardo Justo Orozco Álvarez (born 1950) is a

Costa Rican 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 ...

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

. Orozco has been member of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

in two occasions (1998-2002 and 2010-2014) and presidential candidate. Orozco was born in

San José, Costa Rica San José (; meaning "Saint Joseph") is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is in the center of the country, in the mid-west of the Central Valley, within San José Canton. San ...

on February 18, 1950. He's married to Yasmín Mata and has two children. Founder member of the

Universidad Cristiana del Sur Universidad Cristiana del Sur (Southern Christian University) is a university in San José, Costa Rica. It offers Associate, Bachelor and Licentiate degrees under Ministry of Education accreditation and some other programs via articulation agree ...

, a

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

in Costa Rica, where he received his law degree. Orozco is also founder of Costa Rican Renewal Party, a Christian-based, conservative political party for which he held office as deputy twice. As Congressman, Orozco is heavily opposed all initiatives for

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

and

civil unions A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...

and was accused of

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...

, especially after verbally confronting then-Congresswoman and future minister

Carmen Muñoz Carmen Muñoz is a Costa Rican politician and activist. She is the Vice-Minister Of Government and Police named by president Luis Guillermo Solís and commissioned to separate and turn it into an independent ministry of the Ministry of Public Sec ...

, who is openly

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

, accusing her of legislating in self-benefit. He also made several public comments that were considered offensive toward the gay community.

Corruption scandal

In 2013 Orozco’s Southern Christian University was raided by judicial authorities pending investigation on charges of degree falsification and alleged exchange of sexual favors among students and teachers for grades. Costa Rica’s board of superior education CONESUP also opened an investigation over degrees and grades irregularities.

Arrest for sexual abuse charges

Orozco was arrested in 2015 after three women accused him of sexual abuse. Allegedly after introduce them in different occasions in motel rooms under false premises. The alleged victims refuse to settle out of court. His Trial is currently pending.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orozco, Justo 1950 births Living people 20th-century Costa Rican lawyers Costa Rican religious leaders Costa Rican evangelicals Members of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica People from San José, Costa Rica 21st-century Costa Rican lawyers