Rodrigo Chaves, whose opponents denounce populist inclinations, benefited from the rejection of traditional political elites.
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Costa Rican voters have been on a new face in politics. Rodrigo Chaves, 60-year-old curator, won Sunday, April 3, the second round of the presidential election, with 52.8% of the vote. Supporter of the “law and order”, this economist who arises in rupture with the Establishment has benefited from the rejection of the traditional political elites by the population. This former and ephemeral Minister of Finance (2019-2020) promises to revive the degraded economy of the Little Central American country nicknamed the “Swiss of Latin America”.
“I pledge to impulse a profound change in the way of governing,” said Chaves Sunday night, after the announcement of the preliminary results under the shouts of joy of his followers, gathered in a hotel of San Jose, the capital. The Champion of the Young Social Progress Democratic Social Progress (PPSD, Law Center) has ahead of almost six points his adversary, former President José Maria Figueres (1994-1998), the Party of National Liberation (PLN, also Right Center) , taking advantage of the discontent towards the outgoing government.
The Costa Ricans are painful, Mr. Chaves, who had created the surprise in the first round on February 6, rubbing 16% of the votes. Credited only 5% of the voting intentions at the beginning of an exploded supply campaign, with 25 presidential candidates, the former senior official worked twenty-seven years old for the World Bank before returning In Costa Rica three years ago. In October 2019, he had been appointed Minister of Finance by the current President Carlos Alvarado (2018-2022), the Citizen Action Party (CAP, Center left). But six months later, he slammed the door of the government, justifying “irreconcilable” positions.
“Make power to citizens”
This outsider seduced the voters, disappointed by the eight years to the power of the CAP who had ended, in 2014, to forty years of bipartism of the PLN and the Party of Social-Christian Unity (CPRA, Right Center) . On February 6, the CAP obtained on the legislative elections which stood at the same time as the first round of the presidential election, none of the 57 seats of the Assembly. Mr. Chaves arises as a candider of the corruption of the political elite, incarnated according to him by his adversary, Mr. Figueres. This one is none other than the son of Jose Maria “Don Pepe” Figueres, founder of the PLN and president three times, remained famous for abolishing the army in 1948. Mr Figueres was in question, in 2004 After receiving $ 900,000 (815,000 euros) for a consulting mission on behalf of the French Telecommunications Giant, Alcatel, who had then obtained public contracts, but it was never continued.
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