Román Macaya
Román Macaya Hayes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund | |
| In office May 8, 2018 – May 8, 2022 | |
| President | Carlos Alvarado Quesada |
| Preceded by | María del Rocío Sáenz Madrigal |
| Costa Rican Ambassador to the United States | |
| In office May 8, 2014 – May 8, 2018 | |
| President | Luis Guillermo Solís |
| Preceded by | Muni Figueres Boggs |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 19, 1966 Florida, United States |
| Political party | Citizens' Action Party |
| Alma mater | University of California Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania |
Román Macaya Hayes (born September 19, 1966) is a Costa Rican entrepreneur, biochemist, and politician. He is most known for his adamant opposition to the Dominican Republic – Central America Free Trade Agreement and later for his work as executive president of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic in Costa Rica. He was a presidential pre-candidate for the Citizens' Action Party. He was Costa Rican ambassador in Washington, D.C. between 2014 and 2018. Currently, he is Executive President of the board of directors of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, named by the Carlos Alvarado Quesada's government in 2018.
Life
He was born on September 19, 1966, in the state of Florida, obtained a PhD in biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles and a master's degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of Costa Rica's Junta Directiva de la Cámara Nacional de Agricultura y Agroindustria (roughly translated as board of directors of the Agriculture and Food Industry National Chamber), and President of Costa Rica's National Industry of Agrochemicals Association. He is also former President of the Chamber of Entrepreneurs for Costa Rica, which strongly opposed both CAFTA and DR-CAFTA. He is head of the family-owned exporting company Rimacsa.
On March 4, 2009, he made public his intention to become the Citizen's Action Party's official presidential candidate, his candidature being applauded by Ottón Solís, Epsy Campbell Barr (the other precandidates), and Congressman José Merino del Río, leader of Broad Front. He was ultimately defeated on May 31, 2009, during the PAC's National Convention.