Costa Rica swings right as voters embrace tough-on-crime leader amid surging violence

Costa Ricans person elected blimpish populist Laura Fernández arsenic their adjacent president, according to preliminary results, making her the latest right-leaning person to triumph bureau successful Latin America.

With results from 96.8% of polling places counted, Fernández of the Sovereign People’s Party won 48.3% of the vote, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal reported.

Her closest challenger, economist Álvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party, trailed with 33.4%, the Associated Press reported. 

Ramos conceded the contention connected predetermination night, with Fernández, 39, to statesman her four-year word successful May.

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Costa Rica elected blimpish populist Laura Fernández arsenic president with 48.3% of the vote, making her the latest right-leaning person successful Latin America. (AP Photo/Carlos Borbon)

A erstwhile authorities minister, Fernández is the chosen successor of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, who is constitutionally prohibited from seeking re-election.

She campaigned connected continuing Chaves’ populist agenda, which reshaped Costa Rican authorities by arguing against accepted parties and promising tougher enactment connected crime.

Fernández served arsenic curate of nationalist readying and aboriginal arsenic curate of the presidency, giving her a cardinal relation successful Chaves’ administration.

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Laura Fernández is the chosen successor of President Rodrigo Chaves and promises to proceed his agenda. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

Crime had dominated the run successful Costa Rica amid crisp rises successful homicides, pack enactment and cause trafficking by cartels.

The execution complaint had accrued by 50% implicit the past six years, according to reports.

Fernández pledged a hard-line information strategy, including accrued practice with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and tougher measures against organized crime.

She has besides floated arguable proposals inspired by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.

This included operation of a peculiar situation for pack leaders, the Associated Press reported.

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Costa Rica elects blimpish populist Laura Fernández arsenic president with 48.3% of the vote. (AP Photo/Carlos Borbon)

"My manus won’t shingle erstwhile it comes to making the decisions we request to reconstruct bid successful Costa Rican homes," Fernández said during the campaign.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Fernández successful a connection Monday.

"Under her leadership, we are assured Costa Rica volition proceed to beforehand shared priorities to see combating narco-trafficking, ending amerciable migration to the United States, promoting cybersecurity and unafraid telecommunications, and strengthening economical ties," Rubio said.

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"I anticipation that we tin instantly little the flags of whichever governmental enactment and commencement moving lone successful favour of the Costa Rican flag," Fernández said aft the result. 

"I judge the Costa Rican radical expect thing little of us," she added.