SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Costa Rica is holding a presidential election Sunday as voters weigh the country’s security record, with many appearing prepared to back Laura Fernández, the candidate closely linked to outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, as homicide and drug-related violence remain top concerns.
The Associated Press reported that crime is a central issue for many voters, including those who connect the violence to drug traffickers competing to control Costa Rica’s domestic market and the routes used to move cocaine to Europe and the United States. The AP said the country, known for tourism, has been gripped by violent crime in recent years.
The AP reported that Chaves has defended his record by pointing to what he described as a permissive judiciary and weak predecessors. Chaves has also drawn support through tough-on-crime rhetoric and by inviting public attention to a security effort inspired by El Salvador’s gang crackdown, including an invitation extended to President Nayib Bukele for the groundbreaking of a new prison.
Chaves and his team have operated amid a recent history of high homicide totals. The AP said that in 2023 Costa Rica set a record for homicides with 907. It said that number fell to 880 in 2024 and that last year the total ticked down by three.
Support for Fernández also reflects political calculations beyond security, the AP reported. Political analyst Fanny Ramírez said the opposition had failed to provide an effective counterweight, adding, “They’ve known how to justify government inaction, they’ve been very belligerent in that and there hasn’t been a strong opposition voice to refute it.”
On the ballot, the AP described National Liberation’s economist Álvaro Ramos as a candidate who could “be lucky to reach 10% of the vote,” according to recent polls. Behind him, the AP said, is former first lady Claudia Dobles, who is running for the Citizen Agenda Coalition, though the AP reported that Dobles has faced criticism connected to the administration of her husband, ex-President Carlos Alvarado.
The stage, the AP said, is set for Fernández, portrayed as Chaves’ former minister of national planning and economic policy and more recently his minister of the presidency. The AP also noted that Chaves has been repeatedly cited for openly campaigning for Fernández, which is prohibited in Costa Rica. It said electoral authorities attempted to strip him of immunity so he could be prosecuted for that campaigning, but that effort failed, and that an earlier attempt tied to alleged corruption also failed.
Voters will also choose all 57 members of Congress on Sunday, raising questions about whether Fernández can secure enough support in the legislature. María Ramírez, a merchant in the capital, told the AP she planned to vote for Fernández and for Chaves’ Sovereign People’s Party, saying other parties had tried to block Chaves from governing and that Fernández would need allies in the legislature. Ramírez said, “That’s why we have to support Ms. Laura so that she has enough support and they don’t block her in the Assembly.”
Other voters described economic and institutional concerns. Edwin Alvarado told the AP he felt the country was doing better economically and that government institutions were working for the good of the people, adding that he planned to vote “very convinced” for Fernández to continue the same line of “good governance” associated with Chaves.
Recent polls cited by the AP suggest Fernández could reach the 40% of the vote required to win in the first round. If she does not, the AP reported that the top two vote-getters will face off April 5, with nearly a third of voters who intend to vote still undecided. Ramírez said of the undecided voters: “People’s indecision so far seems to me oriented to seeing who could compete with Laura Fernández in the second round.”