Laura Fernández has become the elected president of Costa Rica with a resounding victory in the first round of elections, where she secured 49.61% of the votes after 69.4% of the ballots were counted. According to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, surpassing the 40% threshold was necessary to win in the first round. Fernández, a 39-year-old political scientist, defeated Álvaro Ramos, the candidate from the social democratic National Liberation Party, who garnered 32.12% of the vote. President José Raúl Mulino congratulated the right-wing Laura Fernández on her victory in Costa Rica's presidential election and invited her to continue 'working together.' During her campaign, Fernández promised to declare a state of emergency in conflict zones to combat drug trafficking, reform the judiciary, and promote the modernization of ports, airports, and roads. None of the other 18 presidential candidates reached 5% support. Insecurity and the rise of drug trafficking were key campaign issues for the candidate, as they are seen by the population as the country's main problem. According to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), voter turnout in this election reached 69.5%, with abstention at 30.4%. Fernández, who was Minister of the Presidency and Planning in the current government, has positioned herself as the 'heir' to outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, with whom President Mulino maintains a close relationship. 'We have been attentive to every detail to guarantee you once again the purity of the vote (...) We thank you for exemplary, free, and authentic elections, which once again honor the most noble Costa Rican tradition,' affirmed Zamora. In a solemn session, the president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Eugenia Zamora, asked to 'respect the verdict of the ballots without renouncing critical democracy and oversight of the rulers' and called for 'responsibility to curb the escalation of insults,' which does not bring the country closer to finding solutions to fight 'poverty, ignorance, and criminality.'
Laura Fernández Elected President of Costa Rica
Laura Fernández won the first round of Costa Rica's presidential election with nearly 50% of the vote. She defeated her main rival, Álvaro Ramos, and was congratulated by the incumbent president. Fernández pledged to combat drug trafficking and reform the judiciary.
