On Wednesday, Sept. 18, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, the former president of Costa Rica, gave the keynote address for the 2024 Borah Symposium.
Alvarado Quesada served as the 48th president of Costa Rica between May 2018 and May 2020. As president, Alvarado Quesada fought against climate change and advocated for human rights, democracy and multilateralism.
“I already feel like I’m cheering for the Vandals,” he opened, thanking the students and faculty for how welcomed he felt in Idaho.
His keynote address, titled “Exploring the Interplay of Generations, Will and Peace,” covered his journey navigating peace as a political leader. Legacy matters, he said, emphasizing the importance of history and the future to make peace.
Alvarado Quesada shared vignettes of historical moments in Costa Rican history that have laid the groundwork for peace.
Throughout history, Costa Rica has eliminated the death penalty, ensured universal healthcare and abolished their military forces to sow for peace.
“That generation, despite their limitations, were able to make so much change,” he said. “This legacy would lead to a national park [protection act].”
Costa Rica is one of the few countries on the planet to have reversed deforestation, Alvarado Quesada shared.
Under Alvarado Quesada, Costa Rica became the first country to outlaw the use of fossil fuels. He shared the anxieties about being a trailblazer in becoming carbon-free and how he overcame it, turning that fear into determination.
Livestock, coffee farming and gas vehicle usage were major parts of the first decarbonization plan since the Paris Agreement.
Coffee from Costa Rica is now “carbon negative,” according to Alvarado Quesada. Meanwhile, in 2022, Costa Rica was the leading country in electric vehicle usage.
“We were doing our part, and diplomatically, we were leading,” he said.
Alvarado Quesada signed an act in 2019 to protect Costa Rica’s ocean territory, taking the percentage of protected ocean from 3% to 30%. By 2022, ocean protection acts would sweep through several countries inspired by Alvarado Quesada’s act.
“If someone tells you something is impossible, thank them, because they are giving you drive,” he said of the climate crisis skeptics.
In a touching moment, Alvarado Quesada said his inspiration was his son.
“To make a better world for our children,” he said, “is something we can all agree on.”
Alvarado Quesada ends his speech saying that he does not advocate for every country to do it like Costa Rica, but to make Costa Rica an example that incredible change is possible.
Victoria Kingsmore can be reached at [email protected].