Costa Rica Election Reflects Expanded Right-Wing Movement Abroad
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
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Laura Fernández, the President-elect of Costa Rica, campaigned on a "mano dura" platform, promising harsher criminal sentencing and mandatory prison labor, and won with a plurality of 48% of the vote on February 1, 2026, according to reports by Democracy Now! and Foreign Policy.
Fernández's victory reflects a broader trend of right-wing populism in Latin America, with her policy agenda focusing on security and "fiscal responsibility" at the expense of social services like education and healthcare, as noted by anthropologist Andrés León Araya and the International Center for Non-Profit Law (ICNL).
The new president's election has raised concerns among domestic critics and civil society organizations, including LGBTQIA+ activism groups like ADELA and climate coalitions like FUNPADEM, about the potential erosion of civil liberties and the role of activists in lawmaking, as reported by the Financial Times and ICNL.
