Who is the populist conservative president-elect in Costa Rica?

Laura Fernández Delgado declared triumph successful the Costa Rican statesmanlike predetermination connected Sunday aft preliminary results showed her Sovereign People’s Party starring the nationalist ballot with conscionable implicit 48% support.

The National Liberation Party followed successful 2nd spot with astir 33% of the vote, according to the latest authoritative tally from Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which oversees and certifies nationalist elections.

"Change volition beryllium heavy and irreversible," Fernández said astatine her triumph enactment successful San Jose, according to a translation of her remarks from Reuters.

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

COSTA RICA SWINGS RIGHT AS VOTERS EMBRACE TOUGH-ON-CRIME LEADER AMID SURGING VIOLENCE

Presidential campaigner Laura Fernandez of the Sovereign People's Party (PPSO) reacts onstage arsenic aboriginal results amusement her starring the wide predetermination successful San Jose, Costa Rica, Feb. 1, 2026. (Raquel Cunha/Reuters)

Fernández, 39, is acceptable to go Costa Rica’s 2nd pistillate president, aft Laura Chinchilla, who served from 2010 to 2014.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio connected Monday congratulated Fernández connected her triumph successful Costa Rica’s statesmanlike election, emphasizing the United States’ committedness to moving intimately with her incoming administration.

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

TRUMP-STYLE LAW-AND-ORDER CONSERVATIVE CLINCHES CHILE’S PRESIDENCY AS VIOLENT CRIME CRISIS RESHAPES NATION

A antheral wearing a MAGA headdress reacts arsenic supporters of statesmanlike campaigner Laura Fernandez of the Sovereign People Party (PPSO) hold for her code aft polls closed successful the wide predetermination successful San Jose, Costa Rica, Feb. 1, 2026. (Raquel Cunha/Reuters)

Reuters reported that Fernández, who is joined and has a young daughter, has built her governmental illustration astir blimpish Catholic values and a beardown accent connected family, helping her summation traction among Costa Rica’s expanding evangelical electorate.

She has publically expressed admiration for Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, and his pugnacious stance connected crime, signaling openness to enhanced information measures successful violence-prone areas.

Costa Rica’s statesmanlike campaigner Laura Fernandez of the Sovereign People’s Party (PPSO) greets supporters during a run rally up of Sunday’s predetermination successful San Jose, Costa Rica, Jan. 24, 2026. (Mayela Lopez/Reuters)

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Fernández has besides said she would implicit operation of a maximum-security situation modeled connected El Salvador’s CECOT installation arsenic portion of a broader strategy to code superior crime.

The president-elect is scheduled to beryllium sworn successful connected May 8.

Fox News' Emma Bussey contributed to this report.