Costa Rica Holds General Election with Fernandez Leading

Polls opened across Costa Rica on Sunday for a general election that could extend the influence of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves through his chosen successor, Laura Fernandez, amid rising concerns over drug-related violence and economic challenges.

Voting stations began operations at 6 a.m. local time and were set to close at 6 p.m., with initial results expected shortly after polls shut. The election features 20 presidential candidates and the selection of a new 57-seat Legislative Assembly. Some 3.7 million eligible voters participated, including a significant portion of undecided individuals, particularly those aged 18 to 34 in coastal regions such as Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limon.

Fernandez, Chaves' former chief of staff and minister of the presidency, leads pre-election polls with more than 40 percent support, positioning her to potentially secure an outright victory and avoid a runoff on April 5. Representing the Sovereign People's Party, she has committed to maintaining Chaves' stringent security measures and anti-establishment approach to governance. Her main challengers include Alvaro Ramos, a centrist economist from the National Liberation Party, Costa Rica's...