One of the most remarkable politicians of all time is Johnny Araya, a politician from the country of Costa Rica. Born in April 1957, Johnny Araya was a candidate who ran for Presidency for the PLN party which is the National Liberation Party in Costa Rica in the year 2013. Araya has played an active role in the political scenario of Costa Rica for several decades now, beginning from the year 1982.
From the year 1998 to 2001 Araya was the Mayor of San Jose. He was again elected Mayor in 2003. Araya has taken several crucial roles in the politics of Costa Rica. He is one of the members of the National Assembly, as well as Provincial Assembly of San Jose. He is currently the members of the National Policy Board of Costa Rica and the San Jose Canton Assembly. Other positions that Araya has occupied include being the Vice President of the UCCI(Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities) which represents the regions of the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America from the year 1996 up to the year 2000, and then from the year 2004 up to 2006. Araya has been the President Delegate as well as a member of the FMCU which is the “Bureau of the World Federation of United Cities”. He also occupied the position of Vice President of the UCCI executive committee from the year 2004 up to 2006. Between 2006 and 2008, Araya was once again the UCCI Co-President. From the year 2010 up to 2012, Araya was the Vice President of the UCCI.
Political Positions Of Araya
Araya has also occupied various other prime positions in politics such as being a member of the executive committees of the regional chapter of the UCLG from the year 2004 to the year 2006, as well being a World Council member of the UCLG from the year 2004 up to the year 2007. From the year 2006 up to 2012 Araya was also the Co-president of FLAMCA. He also became the co-president of the UCLG for a term of three years between 2010 and 2013.
Araya’s career began as an engineer in agronomics, after graduating in Agronomy from the University of Costa Rica in the year 1980. His entry into politics was in the year 1982 when he was elected as the councilor of San Jose City. As a councilor, he took part in a month-long program for the mayors of the Caribbean and Latin America at the HIID (Harvard Institute for International Development in the year 1992.
After Laura Chinchilla was barred from contesting elections in the year 2013, the PLN party of Costa Rica nominated Araya as their Presidential Candidate. The rural provinces of Costa Rica such as and Limón, Puntarenas, and Guanacaste gave him support for the elections, but he lost to Luis Guillermo Solís. Araya did not campaign for President after losing to Solis in the year 2014. Araya also happens to be Luis Alberto Monge’s nephew. Monge was the President of the Republic of Costa Rica from the year 1982 up to the year 1986.
