One week before the February 1 elections in Costa Rica, parties closed their campaigns in public spaces with calls to go to the polls to seek the necessary support to reverse the polls that favor the official candidate, Laura Fernández, even to win in the first round. "We can win," is the phrase used this Sunday by Claudia Dobles, candidate of the Citizen Agenda Coalition and former first lady (2018-2022), who harshly criticized the current government of President Rodrigo Chaves, pointing out that he has done nothing to solve insecurity and problems in the public health system. Accompanied by a large group of young people, Dobles signed a commitment this Sunday to promote policies in favor of youth and to work on reducing social gaps, and then held two rallies in San José and a cultural campaign closing event. Dobles, who appears in third place in the polls, has stated during the campaign that her movement is the only option that can defeat the officialism represented by the candidate of the Sovereign People's Party (PPSO), Laura Fernández, former Minister of Planning and the Presidency of Chaves's current government. Fernández has also promised to propose the suspension of fundamental guarantees of the population in conflictive neighborhoods to fight drug trafficking. According to the poll by the University of Costa Rica's Center for Research and Political Studies, published last Wednesday, second place is held by Álvaro Ramos of the social democratic National Liberation Party with 8% support, followed by Claudia Dobles of the center-left Citizen Agenda Coalition. Fernández, who has presented herself as the "heir" to Chaves and the "continuity of change," closed her campaign this weekend with tours of the capital and some communities in the center of the country, as well as visits to television programs. The most recent polls place Fernández with a wide lead to win the elections, with support reaching the 40% needed to triumph in the first round, although opposition parties have warned that the last week is key to convincing the undecided, who are around 30% of the electorate decided to vote. Fernández points to a resounding victory based on the results of the latest polls, while opposition parties are burning their last cards in search of the necessary support to force a second round. The official campaign has insisted to the population on the need to obtain a legislative majority to promote deep reforms of the State, especially in the Judicial Power, to toughen the penal code against organized crime and drug trafficking.
