SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica — Conservative populist Laura Fernández has won Costa Rica’s presidency, pledging to continue the political reorientation begun by her political sponsor, outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves.
Preliminary and partial results showed Fernández, the handpicked successor of Chaves, secured a first-round victory in a crowded field, avoiding a runoff. With votes from 96.8% of polling places tallied, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal reported Fernández of the Sovereign People’s Party had 48.3% of the vote; economist Álvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party trailed with 33.4%.
Ramos conceded Sunday night and said he would lead a “constructive opposition” that would nonetheless hold those in power accountable. Fernández will not be formally declared the winner until electoral officials complete a manual count scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Fernández said her chief goal as president will be consolidating Costa Rica’s development to better face global challenges and generate solid economic growth. “I hope that we can immediately lower the flags of whichever political party and start working only in favor of the Costa Rican flag,” she said.
Candidates needed at least 40% of the total vote to win in the first round. Fernández campaigned on continuing many of Chaves’ policies. Rising crime in the historically peaceful Central American nation was a major issue; while some voters fault Chaves for failing to reduce violence, many believe his confrontational approach, which Fernández seeks to continue, offers the best chance to curb crime.
Fernández previously served as Chaves’ minister of national planning and economic policy and later as minister of the presidency. She was considered the frontrunner going into the election.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Fernández, saying he was confident Costa Rica would continue to advance shared priorities including combatting narco-trafficking, ending illegal immigration to the United States, promoting cybersecurity and secure telecommunications, and strengthening economic ties.
Voters also chose members of the 57-seat National Assembly. Chaves’ party was expected to make gains, though it might fall short of the supermajority he and Fernández sought—a threshold that would allow their party greater influence over appointments such as Supreme Court magistrates.
Twenty contenders sought the presidency, but only Fernández and Ramos exceeded 5% in the preliminary results. About 3.7 million Costa Ricans were eligible to vote.
Four years ago, Chaves ran as an outsider and won by casting traditional parties as corrupt and self-interested amid high unemployment and a soaring budget deficit. His anti-establishment message reshaped Costa Rica’s political landscape and helped propel Fernández to the presidency.
