José Rizo Castellón (27 September 1944 – 23 April 2019) was a

Nicaraguan Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America after Guatemala and ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

, affiliated with the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC). Rizo was a lawyer trained at the Universidad Centroamericana of Managua in Nicaragua; he also studied in the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

Biography

Rizo was nominated as the PLC's presidential candidate for the 2006 election in which he finished in third place behind

Daniel Ortega José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (; ; born 11 November 1945) is a Nicaraguan politician and dictator who has been the president of Nicaragua, co-president of Nicaragua since 18 February 2025, alongside his wife Rosario Murillo. He was the 54th an ...

and Eduardo Montealegre, receiving 25.11% of the vote. Rizo previously served as Vice President of Nicaragua under

Enrique Bolaños Enrique José Bolaños Geyer (; 13 May 1928 – 14 June 2021) was a Nicaraguan politician who served as President of Nicaragua from 10 January 2002 to 10 January 2007. From 1997 to 2002, Bolaños served as vice president under Arnoldo Alemán. ...

, from 10 January 2002 until he resigned in 2005 to pursue the presidency in the November 2006 elections. José Antonio Alvarado was his vice-presidential running mate. He died of a terminal illness on 23 April 2019 in

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

, Chile, at the age of 74.

References

1944 births 2019 deaths People from Jinotega Department Vice presidents of Nicaragua Central American University (Managua) alumni {{Nicaragua-politician-stub