CR–1. Editorial Note
Costa Rica held general elections on February 2, 1958. Mario Echandi Jiménez, candidate of the National Union Party (PUN), won the presidential election with 102,851 votes, 46.4 percent of the total 229,543 votes, defeating Francisco Orlich, National Liberation Party (PLN) candidate, and Jorge Rossi Chavarría, Independent Party (IND) candidate. The Embassy at San José found the “elections remarkably free from violence and bitterness despite frenzied activity to round up voters;” and it said about Echandi that “we can safely assume he is fundamentally friendly to U.S. and free world policies and certainly oriented toward stability business and investment.” (Telegram 159, February 3, 1958; 718.00/2–358)