The 2026 elections are reshaping politics in Costa Rica, with the presidency and Congress concentrated in a single party and an electorate mobilized around security and institutional change.
The victory of Laura Fernández opens a crossroads: to reform the state in order to usher in a Third Republic, or, in the attempt, to erode the checks and balances that have sustained its democracy.
Costa Rica is facing elections marked by uncertainty and the rise of political personalism, putting one of Latin America’s most stable democracies to the test amid an unprecedented scenario of volatility.
In three decades, Costa Rica went from exporting raw materials to becoming a global leader in medical manufacturing, offering valuable lessons for Latin America.
