SAN JOSE — Right-wing populist Laura Fernandez won a commanding victory in Costa Rica’s general elections on Sunday, while her ruling party is set to gain a majority in Congress.Fernández was handpicked by President Rodrigo Chaves to run as his successor and has pledged to continue with his tough on crime policies.“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.”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.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.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.”Fernandez built her career as a political adviser and civil servant at Costa Rica’s Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy, where current President Chaves appointed her minister in 2022.A fierce supporter of Chaves, Fernandez went on to be his chief of staff, before launching her own campaign for president.Lawmaker Pilar Cisneros, who leads the government’s faction in Congress and is seen as a key figure in Chaves’ rise to power, said: “Few people know the state like she does — she knows where the knots are.”She is known for her theatrical speaking style and taste for dancing that she often shows off at campaign rallies.Fernandez was born in Esparza in the coastal province of Puntarenas, and grew up in the capital of San Jose. She is married with a young daughter and is a conservative Catholic with a strong family message, which has helped her attract support from the country’s growing evangelical groups.She has spoken of her admiration for El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, known for his hard-line approach to crime and gangs, and has said she would enact states of emergency in high-crime areas that would limit civil liberties. She has also vowed to finish building a high-security penitentiary modeled after El Salvador’s CECOT mega prison.During the campaign, opponents accused Fernandez of being a “puppet” for Chaves and questioned her autonomy.”The one who is going to govern is her — she will be the president — but she would be foolish not to show she has Don Rodrigo’s backing. She is loyal to our political project,” Cisneros said.Flanked by supporters in San Jose after declaring victory, Fernandez promised a new era of politics in Costa Rica.”Change will be deep and irreversible,” Fernandez said, announcing that the Central American nation was entering a new political era.Fernandez will be Costa Rica’s second female president after Laura Chinchilla, who governed from 2010 to 2014. Since leaving office, Chinchilla has taken on a number of roles at international organizations and universities and become a vocal opponent of the governments in Venezuela and Nicaragua. — Agencies
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