The official candidate for President of Costa Rica, Laura Fernández, denounced this Monday during a debate that she was harassed by the candidate from the conservative evangelical party Nueva República, Fabricio Alvarado, when she served as his advisor in 2018. "In the name of the women of Costa Rica, I have to raise my voice because when I was an advisor, like many others, we received harassment from this man, inappropriate comments, photographs, and what is more serious, using the name of God," expressed Fernández during a debate organized by Radio Columbia and the Universidad Latina, in which 6 of the 20 presidential candidates participated. Fernández, from the Pueblo Soberano party and the favorite in the polls, added: "I will never forget when he cornered me in an office with the false promise, see how delicate, of giving me a Bible." "I want the people of Costa Rica to get to know me, especially the women, and to know that I will never be afraid to raise my voice for justice and for the thousands of Costa Ricans who have been victims of a bunch of pigs," she expressed. Fernández's statements came after Alvarado accused her of committing a "low blow" and "lack of emotional intelligence" by getting involved with his family during a previous debate intervention and saying, "God save Costa Rica from Laura Fernández as president." After Fernández's account of harassment, Alvarado, a journalist and evangelical singer, said that his family knows who he is and that he will always face any accusation head-on. "When did we stop being the 'pura vida' Costa Rica where we debated with dignity?" Alvarado expressed. On February 1st, Costa Ricans will go to the polls to elect the country's president and the 57 deputies of the Legislative Assembly for the 2026-2030 period. For these elections, 20 presidential candidates registered.
