By Alexander Villegas and Alvaro Murillo
SAN JOSE, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Costa Ricans will vote in a general election on Sunday as the right-wing populist government seeks to extend its mandate and secure control of Congress at a time when drug-fueled violence has gripped the country.
Laura Fernandez, President Rodrigo Chaves’ protege and former chief of staff, is leading in the polls with just over 40%, enough to win outright and avoid an April 5 runoff. She has pledged to continue Chaves’ tough security policies and anti‑establishment message.
Her closest rivals in the 20-person field are Alvaro Ramos, a centrist economist representing Costa Rica’s oldest political party, and Claudia Dobles, an architect representing a progressive coalition and a former first lady whose husband, Carlos Alvarado, served as president from 2018 to 2022. Both are polling in the single digits but are seen as the two most likely to compete in a possible runoff if Fernandez falls short of 40%.
Fernandez also has asked voters to hand her 40 seats in the country’s 57-seat legislative assembly, a supermajority that would allow her to pursue constitutional reforms.
The current government holds just eight seats and has blamed congressional gridlock for blocking its agenda.
Polls show about a quarter of the 3.7 million voters remain undecided, with the largest group being between the ages of 18-34 and from the coastal provinces of Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limon.
“People are tired of promises from all the governments, including this one even though the government has said things that are true like needing stronger laws to restore order,” said Yheison Ugarte, a 26-year-old deliveryman from downtown Limon, a Caribbean port city that’s been the hardest hit by drug violence.
Despite homicides surging to an all-time high during his term and multiple corruption investigations, Chaves remains deeply popular, with a 58% approval rating according to University of Costa Rica’s CIEP polling.
While consecutive reelection is not allowed in Costa Rica, Fernandez has vowed to include Chaves in her government and positioned herself as the continuity of his mandate.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) and will remain open until 6 p.m. with early results expected to come in at 8:45 p.m.
(Reporting by Alexander Villegas and Alvaro Murillo; Editing by Diane Craft)
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