Gerardo Justo Orozco Álvarez (born 1950) is a

Costa Rican Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

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, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

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 ...

. 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 ...

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 city, capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and the capital of San José Province. It is in the center of the country, in the mid-west of the Costa Rican Central Valley, Central Valley, wi ...

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

private university Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...

in Costa Rica, where he received his law degree. Orozco is also founder of

Costa Rican Renewal Party The Costa Rican Renewal Party () is a Christian political party in Costa Rica. History Established in 1995, as a splinter of the National Christian Alliance, the party first participated in national elections in 1998, when its presidential candi ...

, a Christian-based,

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

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 Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...

and

civil unions A civil union (also known as a Civil partnership in the United Kingdom, civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, primarily created to provide legal recognition for Same-sex relationship, same-sex couples. Civi ...

and was accused of

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...

, especially after verbally confronting then-Congresswoman and future minister Carmen Muñoz, who is openly

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. 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 nouns with female homosexu ...

, 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 Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...

. 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