Laura Fernandez, a right-wing political scientist known for her hardline stance on crime, has secured a commanding victory in Costa Rica’s presidential election, riding public anger over rising violence linked to the cocaine trade.
Preliminary results showed Fernandez comfortably clearing the 40 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff, prompting her main rival, centre-right economist Alvaro Ramos, to concede defeat. With 81.24 percent of polling stations counted, Fernandez captured 48.94 percent of the vote, well ahead of Ramos’s 33.02 percent.
As the results rolled in, celebrations erupted nationwide among supporters of Fernandez’s Sovereign People’s Party. Streets filled with waving blue, red, and white Costa Rican flags, while chants praising outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, Fernandez’s political mentor, echoed through the crowds.
Speaking via video link to supporters gathered in San Jose, the 39-year-old president-elect thanked Chaves for placing his trust in her and said his legacy would be protected. She pledged to govern with determination, vowing to fight tirelessly to keep Costa Rica on a path of economic growth, freedom, and progress.
For decades, Costa Rica, a nation of 5.2 million people celebrated for its white-sand beaches and democratic stability, stood apart from much of Central America. But in recent years, it has transformed from a transit point into a key logistics hub in the global drug trade. The growing presence of Mexican and Colombian cartels has fueled violent turf wars, driving the national murder rate up by 50 percent over the past six years to 17 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Fernandez has openly cited El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele as an inspiration, praising his iron-fisted approach to tackling gangs. Bukele was also the first foreign leader to congratulate her on the win.
Her victory underscores a broader rightward shift across Latin America, where conservative leaders have gained ground by channeling public frustration over crime and corruption, from Chile and Argentina to Bolivia and Honduras.
Outgoing President Chaves, who appointed Fernandez as planning minister and later chief of staff, expressed confidence that her leadership would steer the country away from authoritarianism. Yet his own term saw violence spike, a trend he blamed on a judiciary he accused of being too lenient on criminals.
Some voters, like 27-year-old Jessica Salgado, backed Fernandez as a continuity candidate. She argued that the surge in violence was a reaction to tougher enforcement. In her words, cracking down on crime was like “dragging rats out of the sewer.”
Alongside the presidential vote, Costa Ricans elected members of the 57-seat Legislative Assembly, with partial results showing Fernandez’s party securing about 39 percent of the vote.
Critics remain wary. They fear Fernandez could attempt constitutional changes that might eventually allow Chaves to return to power, a move former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oscar Arias warned could threaten the country’s democratic foundations. Fernandez has repeatedly denied such intentions, insisting she will respect Costa Rica’s long-standing democratic traditions.
On security, Fernandez has promised sweeping measures, including finishing a maximum-security prison modeled on El Salvador’s controversial Terrorism Confinement Centre, tightening sentencing laws, and declaring states of emergency in crime-ravaged areas.
