Costa Rica goes to the polls this Sunday (6th) for the first round of presidential elections with a tendency to return to power by one of the two most traditional parties in the country and a record number of candidates — 25 in total, the highest number in the history of democracy. local—, although none of them exceeds 20% of voting intentions, which should take the decision to a second round, on April 3.
Polls indicate that the final contest will be between José María Figueres, of the center-right Liberación Nacional, and Fabricio Alvarado, of Christian Social Unity, a far-right pastor. The institutes, however, also point out a high number of undecided, which can lead to a different formation in the second round of the election that also chooses the 57 representatives of the unicameral Legislative Assembly.
According to OPol, the most important consultancy in the country, Figueres leads with 18.9% of voting intentions, while Alvarado has 18.3%, a technical tie. In third is Lineth Saborío, of the right-wing Social Christian party, with 15.3%. Another survey, by the Center for Research and Political Studies, at the University of Costa Rica, shows Figueres leading with 17%, against 13% for Saborio and 10% for Alvarado.
In both polls, the other candidates do not reach the double digits, and voters who say they are undecided range from 31.8%, according to CIEP, to 20.8%, according to OPol. The standard considered is 3.5 million voters—voting is mandatory.
Costa Rica is positively different from its Central American neighbors by ranking second in the ranking of countries with the most support for democracy in Latin America, according to the Latinobarometer, behind only Uruguay. In terms of violence, it has a rate of 11.15 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, much lower than that of Honduras (38.9) or El Salvador (37.14). It is also in 62nd place in the HDI ranking prepared by the UNDP, of the UN, ahead of Brazil and Mexico.
In this election, two issues concern Costa Ricans. One of them is the reactivation of the economy, as the country’s GDP shrank by 4.5% in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, with the partial reactivation of activities, especially tourism, the main source of income, there was a growth of 7.5%.
While unemployment has recovered over the past two years, the rate stands at 14%, making lack of employment among voters top concerns in polls. Informality affects 44% of the workforce and, although low by Latin American standards, it is considered a problem for many voters.
The fight against corruption has also been one of the campaign slogans, after a scheme involving the State and the overpriced contracting of construction companies came to light. The scandal, known as Cochinilla, helped to erode the image of the current president, Carlos Alvarado, who has 12% of popularity according to a survey by CIEP. The rise in unemployment during the pandemic and the reduction in economic activity helped to demolish the popularity of the administration that, in 2014, had emerged as a social-democratic alternative to the country’s traditional bipartisanship.
Corruption also sprinkles some candidates, such as Figueres, a former president and son of the president who abolished the army in the country. He has already been denounced for abuse of power and murder of drug traffickers in state custody, as well as embezzlement. There was no trial, and he denies the charges.
Fabricio Alvarado disputed the previous election and led the first round, with 24.99%. He ended up, however, defeated by Carlos Alvarado (they are not related). He defends an ultra-conservative agenda, against abortion and the so-called “gender ideology”.
Costa Rica performed well in vaccination against Covid, and today has 72.2% of the population with two doses and 79.7% with one dose. In total, it recorded 7,593 deaths. Although considered one of the best healthcare systems in Central America, access to services is also cited among voters’ top concerns. According to surveys, the mentions are due to the fact that it has a longer-lived population, with a life expectancy of 80.2 years, therefore more dependent on the system.
Among the other candidates in the race are leftist José María Villalta and Rodrigo Chaves, a former economy minister in the current government.
the voting intentions
20.8%
of voters are undecided
18.9%
should vote for José María Figueres (centre-right)
18.3%
prefer Fabricio Alvarado (far right)
15.3%
choose Lineth Saborío (right)
Source: Opol
Source: Folha
