Right-wing politician Laura Fernandez was sworn in on Friday as Costa Rica’s new president, promising to tackle drug trafficking in a country once considered one of Latin America’s safest.
The 39-year-old political scientist will lead under the influence of her mentor, outgoing president Rodrigo Chaves, whom she appointed as a “super minister” to oversee her administration's political and economic agenda in what she calls a “government of continuation.”
Fernandez won the 1 February election by a wide margin, her victory largely buoyed by Chaves’ popularity.
She took the oath of office for her four-year term in a ceremony held at the National Stadium in San José, Costa Rica’s capital. With her hand on the Constitution and a Bible, she proclaimed, “Yes, I swear!” The president of the Assembly, Yara Jiménez, then presented her with the presidential sash.
Fernandez now leads this small Central American nation of 5.2 million people, known for political stability and natural beauty, but currently grappling with a record-high homicide rate fuelled by drug trafficking.
She has expressed admiration for Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who has cracked down on gang violence through prolonged states of emergency.
Fernandez plans to follow a similar path, including constructing a high-security prison modeled on El Salvador’s Centre for the Control of Terrorism (Cecot), imposing harsher sentences on criminals, and introducing emergency measures in conflict zones.
Like Chaves, Fernandez is an ally of US President Donald Trump. As the second woman to lead Costa Rica, she strengthens the growing right-wing presence across Latin America, following recent electoral gains in Chile, Bolivia, and Honduras.
