Johnny Araya Monge

Johnny Araya Monge (April 29, 1957 -) is a Costa Rican politician and mayor of the capital city of Costa Rica, San Jose. He is from the "Liberacion Nacional" political party.

In May 2012 San José Mayor Johnny Araya announced his intentions to run for president of Costa Rica in 2014. Johnny Francisco Araya Monge, Mayor of San Jose,Costa Rica,Co-President of UCLG was born in 1957. He graduated from University of Costa Rica, Faculty of Agronomy, in 1980, and from Harvard University (Programme for Mayors of Latin America and the Caribbean) in 1992. He worked as an agronomic engineer for many years.

Elected councilor of the City of San Jose for the first time in 1982, he has been Mayor of the City between 1998 and 2001 and since 2003. He is also holding several other political posts: he is Member of the National Assembly, the National Policy Board, the San José Provincial Assembly and the San José Canton Assembly.

Very active on the international stage, he has been: Vice-president of the Union of bero-American Capital Cities (UCCI), region of Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, 1996-2000; President-delegate and member of the Bureau of the World Federation of United Cities (FMCU); Vice-president of the Executive Committee of the UCCI, 2004-2006; Vice-president of the UCCI, region of Central America,Mexico and the Caribbean, 2004-2006; Co-president of the UCCI, 2006-2008.

He iscurrently Vice-president of the UCCI, 2010-2012.Inside UCLG, Johnny Araya has been Member of the Executive Committee of the Latin American Federation of Cities, Municipalities and Associations of Local Governments (FLACMA), 2004-2006; Member of the World Council of UCLG, 2004-2007. He is currently Co-president of FLACMA.