# León Cortés Castro

_President of Costa Rica (1882-1946)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/leon-cortes-castro
Last updated: 2026-11-05

> León Cortés Castro was a Costa Rican educator, lawyer and politician who served as the 28th President of Costa Rica from 1936 to 1940. His presidency was marked by an extensive public works program, including the construction of numerous public schools and the former La Sabana International Airport, leading contemporaries to refer to his government as the gobierno del cemento y la varilla.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 8 December 1882 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q889166#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Alajuela ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q889166#P19))
- **Died:** 3 March 1946 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q889166#P570))
- **Place of death:** San José ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q889166#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Costa Rica ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q889166#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; lawyer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q889166#P106))
- **Political party:** National Republican Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q889166#P102))
- **Positions held:** President of Costa Rica (8 May 1936 – 8 May 1940) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q889166#P39))

## Questions

**When was León Cortés Castro born?**  
León Cortés Castro was born on 8 December 1882 in Alajuela.

**What positions has León Cortés Castro held?**  
Positions held by León Cortés Castro include: President of Costa Rica (1936–1940).

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): León Cortés Castro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le%C3%B3n_Cort%C3%A9s_Castro) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q889166](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q889166) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Povedano - León Cortés Castro, pte CR (adjusted).jpg by Tomás Povedano (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Povedano_-_Le%C3%B3n_Cort%C3%A9s_Castro,_pte_CR_(adjusted).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article León Cortés Castro, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Povedano - León Cortés Castro, pte CR (adjusted).jpg — Tomás Povedano, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"León Cortés Castro". DigiNepal. Last updated 5 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/leon-cortes-castro. Retrieved 14 November 2026.