Conservative Populist Laura Fernández Claims Victory in Costa Rica’s Presidential Race
Conservative populist Laura Fernández has claimed victory in Costa Rica’s presidential race, with early results also indicating her ruling party securing a majority in an election overshadowed by crime and political apathy. Amid persisting violence from criminal groups in a country long considered a peaceful tourist hub, polling reveals that Costa Ricans are most concerned about security this year.
Voters are also distressed by the decline in their quality of life, as well as the country’s muddled political landscape—a fact indicated by the twenty candidates for president alone. With more than 80% of the polling stations counted, Fernández had secured 48.94% of the votes—enough to avoid a runoff in the race for the presidency.
“Costa Rica has voted for the continuity of change, a change that seeks to restore and improve institutions and return them to the sovereign people in order to create greater well-being and prosperity,” Fernández told supporters after the preliminary results were announced.
Her closest rival Álvaro Ramos, a centrist economist representing Costa Rica’s oldest political party, conceded late on Sunday, saying his party would “support her when her decisions are for the good of the country.”
Costa Rica’s Rise in Crime and Its Impact on Tourism
Costa Rica’s slogan “pura vida” invites tourists to experience “a pure life,” but with murder rates on the rise in the nation’s capital, authorities say visitors are on the decline. CNN’s Djenane Villanueva reports from San José.
What Costa Rica’s rise in crime means for tourists seeking ‘pura vida’
In Costa Rica, a candidate must obtain at least 40% of the vote to win the presidency in the first round. If no one reaches that threshold, the top two head to a runoff. The early results projected Fernandez’s Sovereign People’s Party would also claim a majority of 30 seats in the 57-seat Congress, up from its current eight seats.
Costa Rica’s struggle with criminal violence in recent years is a cruel irony. The country has long been a model for peace. It was the first nation to abolish its armed forces, a point of national pride in a region marked by political turmoil. Yet government figures show that the last three years have been some of the most violent in recent Costa Rican history, with 905 homicides in 2023, an all-time record.
The government attributes much of the violence to drug trafficking. In January, the US Treasury alleged that the country has become a “key global cocaine transshipment point.” Costa Rica is not alone in this trend, of course: crime-related fears drove thousands of Latin Americans to the polls in recent months, from Ecuador to Chile to Honduras.
The region’s struggle against crime is overshadowed by one government in particular: El Salvador and its self-described “dictator” Nayib Bukele. Bukele brought murder rates in El Salvador to historic lows through his aggressive anti-crime policies, which have become a focal point for other nations grappling with similar issues.
