Oscar Arias Sanchez (born 1941) was a Costa Rican politician, social activist, his nation's youngest president, and Nobel Peace Laureate (1987). A man of even temperament, Arias worked tirelessly to maintain peace both in Costa Rica and in the wider arena of Central America.

Oscar Arias Sanchez, president of Costa Rica 1986-1990, was born in the rural town of Heredia, not far from the national capital of San José, on September 13, 1941. For several generations his family had been heavily involved in politics and had often served in the national legislature and on several presidential cabinets. The Arias clan were also prominent coffee producers.

Arias was educated in private schools in Heredia and traveled extensively before studying law and economics at the University of Costa Rica. While attending classes there, he became dedicated to national politics, early becoming an active member of the PLN (Partido de Liberación Nacional...