MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Costa Rican president-elect Laura Chinchilla victory was a landslide

Chinchilla represents a continuation of president Arias policies

Costa Rican president elect Laura Chinchilla victory last Sunday was a landslide having taken 46.76% of the vote according to the latest official data from the Electoral Tribunal with 95% of the vote count concluded.

Runner up Otton Solis from the centre left Citizens’ Action party garnered 25.17% of the vote and Otto Guevara from the ultra conservative Libertarian Movement, 20.82%. This means Chinchilla had more votes than her two closest competitors. However, abstention was 30.83%.

Electoral data shows the ruling National Liberation party from Ms Chinchilla won in eight of Costa Rica’s nine provinces and in 80 of the 81 counties, an unprecedented event for the Central American country.

One of her first messages to neighbouring Latinamerican countries was “not to condition” normal relations to ideology but rather join efforts to solve the many problems of the continent”, which in Costa Rica are organized crime, poverty and employment in spite of a relatively prosperous and dynamic economy.

“Relations with the rest of Latinamerica must be based on a respectful, frank, open dialogue with the purpose of adding efforts in solving the many real problems concerning the region’s citizens”, said Chinchilla in an interview with Colombian media.

Ms Chinchilla is a protégé of outgoing president Oscar Arias, a Social democrat who is also a staunch ally of the United States in the region. Costa Rica is the most politically stable and economically sound country in Central America, which abolished the Army over half a century ago. President Arias during his mandate managed the approval in a referendum of a free trade agreement with the US.

Ms. Chinchilla a political scientist with a long experience in government next to Arias is the first woman president of the country.