The president-elect, who promised a tough line against organized crime and profound reforms of the State, won with a large advantage.
MADRID, Spain.- The right emerged stronger from the presidential elections held this Sunday, February 1 in Costa Rica. The candidate Laura Fernández won in the first round and will become the next president of the country as of May 8, 2026, after obtaining a wide advantage over her contenders and comfortably exceeding the threshold of 40% of valid votes required to avoid a second round.
Preliminary data from the Supreme Election Tribunal (TSE) showed from the first scrutiny a clear trend favorable to Fernández. With nearly 31% of the tables counted, the candidate of the Pueblo Soberano Party concentrated around 53% of the votes, an advantage that was maintained as the count progressed and confirmed her victory in the first round.
Second place went to Álvaro Ramos, of the National Liberation Party, who obtained around a third of the votes, far behind the winner. The rest of the candidates were relegated, without reaching significant percentages, in an election marked by fragmentation.
Fernández’s victory is a ratification of the right-wing project promoted in recent years by the outgoing president Rodrigo Chaves. His victory not only guarantees the continuity of the ruling party, but also confirms the displacement of progressive and leftist currents, incapable of channeling the growing social unrest and citizen concern over insecurity and the advance of organized crime.
During his campaign, Fernández openly advocated a tough approach against drug trafficking, the strengthening of security forces, and institutional reforms aimed at reducing the size and power of the state apparatus. His speech connected with broad sectors of the electorate that demand order, control and concrete results in the face of what they perceive as years of political ineffectiveness.
The election day recorded a turnout close to 70%, a figure that reinforces the legitimacy of the result and citizen support for the conservative turn. After learning of his victory, Fernández spoke of the beginning of a “third republic”, a concept with which he proposes closing the traditional political cycle and deepening the reforms promoted from the right.
