Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Costa Rica Today
Still slowly bouncing back from the global economic crisis of 2008, Costa
Rica remains its peacefully stable, if ever-so-mildly stirred-up self. The 2014
presidential election will provide plenty of conversational fodder when the
results shake out, and new disputes over the Nicaraguan border have
whipped up old resentments. But though the economy is regaining strength
as tourists return in increasing numbers.
Changing of the Guard
Costa Rica acquired a new president after a runoff election (the second in history) in April
2014. Following the departure of the country's first female president, Laura Chinchilla, who
termed out, the runoff between Johnny Araya and Luis Guillermo Solís was a formality, as
Araya stopped campaigning in March 2014 after it became clear that Solís was overwhelm-
ingly likely to prevail.
Though Costa Rica's political landscape is unlikely to change dramatically, Solís' win
may signal a sea change for the National Liberation Party (PLN), which has dominated
Costa Rican politics for more than half a century. Araya, a member of the PLN, had attemp-
ted to distance himself during his campaign from Chinchilla's PLN administration, which
was dogged by corruption scandals.
Solís, affiliated with the center-left Citizens' Action Party (PAC), ran on promises to fight
corruption and to address the country's social and economic inequality. As a scholar of Lat-
in American studies, Solís was formerly a professor at the University of Costa Rica and a
published writer specializing in Latin American politics and social issues. As such, he is
still considered somewhat of a political outsider, despite serving as an advisor to Óscar Ari-
as as a foreign-ministry official. From the results of the election, it seems that many Costa
Ricans view Solís as an agent of much-needed but not-too-radical change. Of course, only
time will tell.
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