Costa Rica's new president won in a first-round landslide; a Nayib Bukele-style crime crackdown could be next.
Laura Fernández won the Costa Rican presidency last month in a rare first-round victory, with over 45% of votes in her favor. She will be the country’s 50th and its second female president after Laura Chinchilla, who held office from 2010 to 2014.
Fernández is expected to continue the right-wing populist policies set by her predecessor, Rodrigo Chaves, who reportedly could return in a ministerial role. The president-elect warned supporters and others to prepare to construct the “third republic” of Costa Rica; she campaigned on security, constitutional reform, and expanding strong‑arm measures against crime and rising violence.
“This is a historic moment and, above all, a glorious moment for our democracy,” Fernández said at her victory rally. “The people have spoken, democracy has voted, and they have opted for the continuation of change: a change that seeks to rescue and perfect our democratic institutions and return them to you, the sovereign people.”
An admirer of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, Fernández has expressed her intention to copy Bukele’s anti-gang strategies and reform the powers of the state. She plans to move ahead with the construction of a high-security penitentiary modeled after El Salvador’s CECOT mega prison.
But political rivals question her autonomy, fearing Fernández will clear a constitutional path for Chaves to return as president.
“From day one you trusted me, you believed in me, and you knew how to value my own merits and give me the confidence to be today the president-elect of Costa Rica,” she told Chaves in a televised phone call.
In a brief address to his supporters, the 64-year-old economist-turned-politician stated, “May God give her wisdom. We will support her when her decisions are for the good of the country,” emphasizing his commitment to backing her leadership.
Costa Rica has come under US scrutiny as one of Latin America’s leading centers of narco-activities, which have fueled a surge of violence, homicide, and public support for constructing more prisons. Nobel Peace Prize winner and former president Óscar Arias warned about the future of democracy under the new presidency.
“The first thing dictators want to do is to reform the constitution to stay in power,” he noted, alluding to Chaves.
