2018 Costa Rican general election
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General elections were held in Costa Rica in 2018 to elect both the
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
and Legislative Assembly. The first round of the presidential election was held on 4 February 2018, with the two highest-ranked candidates being Christian singer and Congressman Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz from the conservative National Restoration Party and writer and former Minister
Carlos Alvarado Quesada Carlos Andrés Alvarado Quesada (; born 14 January 1980) is a Costa Rican politician, writer, journalist and political scientist who served as the 48th president of Costa Rica from 8 May 2018 to 8 May 2022. A member of the Citizens' Action P ...
from the progressive Citizens’ Action Party, gaining 24% and 21% of the votes respectively. As no candidate received more than 40% of the first round vote, a second round run-off election was held on 1 April 2018 and was won by Carlos Alvarado Quesada, with a landslide victory of 60.6% of the vote. The previously dominant National Liberation Party suffered its worst results to date, ending third in the presidential run for the first time in its history with its candidate former Legislative Assembly President
Antonio Álvarez Desanti Antonio Álvarez Desanti (born July 6, 1958) is a Costa Rican politician, lawyer and businessman who has served twice as List of Presidents of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, President of the Legislative Assembly (1995-1996 and 2016). He ...
winning only 18%. Other notable candidates were lawyer and entrepreneur Rodolfo Piza from the center-right
Social Christian Unity Party The Social Christian Unity Party ( es, Partido Unidad Social Cristiana) is a centre-right political party in Costa Rica. PUSC considers itself a Christian-democratic party and, as such, is a member of the Christian Democrat Organization of Ameri ...
with 16% and
right-wing populist Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right-wing nationalism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establ ...
Juan Diego Castro with 9%. In the 57-seat Legislative Assembly, the National Liberation Party won 17 seats, the National Restoration Party won 14 seats (although their parliamentary group later split in half due to factionalism), the Citizens' Action Party won 10 seats, the
Social Christian Unity Party The Social Christian Unity Party ( es, Partido Unidad Social Cristiana) is a centre-right political party in Costa Rica. PUSC considers itself a Christian-democratic party and, as such, is a member of the Christian Democrat Organization of Ameri ...
won 9 seats, the National Integration Party won 4 seats, the
Social Christian Republican Party The Social Christian Republican Party is a Costa Rican political party founded in 2014 by former president Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier and his group of supporters as a splinter from the historical Social Christian Unity Party The Social Chri ...
(an offshoot of PUSC) won 2 seats and left-wing Broad Front won 1 seat.


Electoral system

The
President of Costa Rica The president of the Republic of Costa Rica is the head of state and head of government of Costa Rica. The president is currently elected in direct elections for a period of four years, which is not immediately renewable. Two vice presidents are ...
is elected using a modified
two-round system The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resu ...
in which a candidate must receive at least 40% of the vote to win in the first round; if no candidate wins in the first round, a runoff will be held between the two candidates with the biggest quantity of votes. The 57 members of the Legislative Assembly are elected using closed list
proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
through the
largest remainder method The largest remainder method (also known as Hare–Niemeyer method, Hamilton method or as Vinton's method) is one way of allocating seats proportionally for representative assemblies with party list voting systems. It contrasts with variou ...
from seven multi-member constituencies with between four and 19 seats, which are based on the seven
provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
. Party lists were required to alternate between male and female candidates, with parties also required to have three or four of their seven regional lists headed by a female candidate.


Presidential primaries


Citizens' Action Party

The internal elections for the Citizens' Action Party were held on 9 July 2017. The candidates were two former ministers of the Solís Rivera administration; writer Carlos Alvarado, former Minister of Labour and Social Issues, and economist Welmer Ramos, former Economy Minister. Alvarado won by 56% of the votes. Deputies Epsy Campbell, Ottón Solis and Vicepresident
Ana Helena Chacón Ana Helena Chacón Echeverría is a Costa Rica politician, who served as the nation's 2nd Vice President, under Luis Guillermo Solís 2014–2018, and as Ambassador in Spain, under Carlos Alvarado. Her political career is dedicated to issues ...
declined a potential run. Carlos Alvarado was the first one of the party to announce his intention to run under the slogan of "I choose the future" (Elijo el futuro) and ran under a progressive platform, which sought to exalt the achievements of Luis Guillermo Solis's government and promised to continue with it. Meanwhile, Welmer Ramos's campaign focused more on a moderate and conservative campaign, under the slogan "A citizen like you" (Un ciudadano como usted) and openly criticized the then government to appeal to those who were upset with the administration.


Libertarian Movement

The Libertarian Movement had its first primaries on 30 June 2017. Candidates were deputy Natalia Diaz, and historic leader and deputy Otto Guevara Guth, who will attempt to run for presidency for the fifth time. Guevara won the primary over Diaz by a 10% margin. Otto Guevara's primary campaign was based under a
right-wing populist Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right-wing nationalism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establ ...
inclination, stating that Donald Trump's presidential campaign had given him new inspiration to run, while Natalia Diaz's campaign promised to bring a new face to the party and offer a new alternative to the party's establishment. After the 2016 municipal elections, the party lost its only mayor and 258 aldermen, leaving it with little power. Plus, due to Guevara's turnabout from libertarianism to
religious conservatism Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization ...
, many party adherents created a new party: the Liberal Progressive Party, under former transport minister Eliécer Feinzag's leadership; or joined Social Christian Unity Party because of its new liberal stance on politics.


National Liberation Party

The internal elections for the National Liberation Party were held on 2 April 2017. The candidates were Sigifredo Aiza Campos, former deputy for the
Guanacaste province Guanacaste () is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern region of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Alajuela Province to the east, and Puntarenas Province to the southeast. I ...
, then deputy and radio host Rolando González Ulloa,
Antonio Álvarez Desanti Antonio Álvarez Desanti (born July 6, 1958) is a Costa Rican politician, lawyer and businessman who has served twice as List of Presidents of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, President of the Legislative Assembly (1995-1996 and 2016). He ...
president of the Legislative Assembly, former minister and presidential candidate who was supported by former president
Óscar Arias Sánchez Oscar or Oskar is a masculine given name of Irish origin. Etymology The name is derived from two elements in Irish: the first, ''os'', means "deer"; the second element, ''car'', means "loving" or "friend", thus "deer-loving one" or "friend of deer" ...
, and former president
José María Figueres Olsen José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacu ...
. Álvarez Desanti was chosen as the party's candidate.


Social Christian Unity Party

The Social Christian primary was held on 4 June 2017 with former president of the Health System and previous candidate Rodolfo Piza winning over then deputy Rafael Ortiz.


Other candidates

Former Public Safety Minister Juan Diego Castro launched his unexpected presidential campaign presenting himself as a political outsider and with a strong
anti-establishment An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958, by the British magazine ''New Statesman'' ...
and
anti-corruption Anti-corruption (or anticorruption) comprises activities that oppose or inhibit corruption. Just as corruption takes many forms, anti-corruption efforts vary in scope and in strategy. A general distinction between preventive and reactive meas ...
speech. Promising to "rule by decree" and with a very loud " hard hand" rhetoric (uncommon in Costa Rican politics as the country is famous for its political centrism), Castro has been compared to figures like
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
and Rodrigo Duterte, and accused of right-wing populism and far-right positions, albeit he rejects the comparisons. He ran as the National Integration Party's nominee. Four of the minor candidates lean towards the conservative evangelical community. These are former journalist and San José deputy
Fabricio Alvarado Fabricio () is a Spanish male given name. Fabrício () is the Portuguese equivalent. Among those with the first name are: *Fabricio Coloccini, Argentine footballer *Fabrício Guerreiro (born 1990), Brazilian mixed martial artist *Fabricio Oberto, A ...
for National Restoration Party, journalist Stephanie Campos for
Costa Rican Renewal Party The Costa Rican Renewal Party ( es, Partido Renovación Costarricense) is a Christian political party in Costa Rica. History Established in 1995, as a splinter of the National Christian Alliance, the party first participated in national election ...
,
perennial candidate A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for elected office and rarely, if ever, wins. Perennial candidates' existence lies in the fact that in some countries, there are no laws that limit a number of times a person can ...
and San José deputy Óscar López for Accessibility without Exclusion, and lawyer and twice Cartago deputy Mario Redondo for Christian Democratic Alliance a former Cartaginese provincial party but which expanded to the national level. The left-wing Broad Front nominated Alajuela deputy Edgardo Araya ( :es:Edgardo Araya Sibaja). The far-left Workers' Party chose the trade unionist and high school professor Jhon Vega as its candidate. The right-wing New Generation Party chose its founder Sergio Mena as the presidential nominee. Finally, former
Social Christian Unity Party The Social Christian Unity Party ( es, Partido Unidad Social Cristiana) is a centre-right political party in Costa Rica. PUSC considers itself a Christian-democratic party and, as such, is a member of the Christian Democrat Organization of Ameri ...
's presidential nominee Rodolfo Hernández ( :es:Rodolfo Hernández Gómez) launched his presidential campaign with the newly formed
Social Christian Republican Party The Social Christian Republican Party is a Costa Rican political party founded in 2014 by former president Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier and his group of supporters as a splinter from the historical Social Christian Unity Party The Social Chri ...
, a party formed by former PUSC members dissatisfied with the liberal-controlled Social Christian Central Committee, who claimed the party had lost its Calderonist origins


Presidential candidates


Other presidential candidates


Campaign

Several topics like unemployment, corruption, economics, insecurity and poverty are among the main issues that concern the electorate according to polls. But one particular event that cause uproar in the campaign was the "Cementazo" (lit. cement hit) scandal. A corruption scandal involving political figures of all the main parties, including candidate
Otto Guevara Otto Guevara Guth (born 13 October 1960) is a politician in Costa Rica and founder of the Partido Movimiento Libertario (Libertarian Movement Party). He served in the Costa Rican legislature from 1998-2002 and 2014-2018. Guevara is currently the ...
, whose properties and parliamentary office were raided by the General Attorney investigating the case. Some analysts point to the Cementazo scandal as one of the reasons for the unexpected ascension in polls of hardline anti-establishment candidate Castro. During the campaign Castro made a series of highly controversial statements that often caused polemic reactions. Among other things, he accused the Judiciary of having some of its female members ascending due to
sexual favors Human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour is the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts, ranging from activities done alone (e.g., masturbation) t ...
, something that sprang harsh responses from female judges and judicial workers. Political figures from other parties reacted with outrage including Desanti's wife Nuria Marin and PAC's vice-president nominee Epsy Campbell. He later clarified that he was referring to one particular case of a known female friend of his. He also called for the removal of the prohibition on oil exploitation and
gold mining Gold mining is the extraction of gold resources by mining. Historically, mining gold from alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold panning. However, with the expansion of gold mining to ores that are not on the surface, ...
calling those who opposed it "
eco-terrorists Eco-terrorism is an act of violence which is committed in support of environmental causes, against people or property. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines eco-terrorism as "...the use or threatened use of violence o ...
and
extremists Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied shar ...
". Desanti also said that "extremists should not dictate environmental policies" but mentioned that he opposes oil exploitation. Both Alvarado Quesada and Araya are staunch opponents of all forms of oil
exploration Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
and exploitation. A surprising ruling from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights extending all rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples to
same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...
made after Costa Rica's government lodged a motion for clarification also had an impact on the campaign. The ruling may require up to 22 signatory countries of the Pact of San José that recognize the contentious authority of the IACHR to change their laws to legalize
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
(whether by legislative or judicial methods, or both). Most polls show that most Costa Ricans oppose gay marriage albeit with large numbers supporting it (in a general ratio of 60–40%). Opponents of
gay marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
were outraged by the ruling, causing an increase in
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
support for Christian singer and journalist Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz from the staunchly
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
National Restoration Party (a normally small party with testimonial results mostly supported by the
Evangelical Christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
minority). Alvarado Muñoz was, for the first time for an Evangelical candidate, attracting Catholic voters. Nevertheless, Alvarado Muñoz' gain also saw a counter-reaction. Social media support for progressive pro-gay marriage candidate
Carlos Alvarado Quesada Carlos Andrés Alvarado Quesada (; born 14 January 1980) is a Costa Rican politician, writer, journalist and political scientist who served as the 48th president of Costa Rica from 8 May 2018 to 8 May 2022. A member of the Citizens' Action P ...
was also notable, particularly among millennials and centennials who mostly support
socially liberal Cultural liberalism is a social philosophy which expresses the social dimension of liberalism and advocates the freedom of individuals to choose whether to conform to cultural norms. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, it is often expressed a ...
policies. Some analysts point to a possible polarization between conservative and progressive voters, or among religious and secular or older and younger generations depending on the measure, which pushed both Alvarados into the second round. At least two
homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, m ...
attacks were reported. During the run-off campaign, Alvarado Muñoz’ strategy focused on linking his rival with the somewhat unpopular government at the time by pointing out its flaws, errors and scandals. On the contrary, Alvarado Quesada tried to distance himself from Luis Guillermo Solís’ Administration, but at the same time highlighted its achievements. Muñoz also reinforced his idea of defending "pro-life and family" values, whilst Quesada insisted in wanting an inclusive country with no "second class citizens". Quesada's strategy focused in presenting Muñoz as inexperienced and unprepared, pointing out his delay in presenting his second government program as promised and contradictions between him and some of his close collaborators. A series of controversies affected Muñoz' presidential run, including accusations of plagiarism on his government program, a delay in the presentation of his party's financial reports, high payments to him and some other high-ranking party members for services during the campaign, etc. But probably one of the most damaging was the content of a book written by pastor and tele-evangelist Ronny Chaves (close collaborator of Fabricio and described by him as "spiritual father") calling "La Negrita" or
Virgen de los Angeles The Virgen de los Angeles (Virgin of the Angels) is Costa Rica's patron saint, also known as ''La Negrita''. Virgen de los Angeles Day is a Costa Rican holiday celebrating the Virgen. Background According to tradition, La Negrita, ''the Black V ...
(Costa Rica's
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
) a demon. Something that some analysts highlight as hurtful to many Catholics' feelings causing many of them to switch towards Carlos Alvarado. In fact, the
Cartago Province Cartago (), which means Carthage in Spanish, is a Provinces of Costa Rica, province of central Costa Rica. It is one of the smallest provinces, however probably the richest of the Spanish Colonial era sites and traditions. Geography It is loca ...
which is Costa Rica's Catholic epicenter and see of the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles is where Quesada's support was higher (75%), on the contrary Fabricio won by wide margin in the mostly Protestant province of Limón. In the second round Carlos kept San José, Heredia and Cartago Provinces and all of the
cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...
he won in the first one, and managed to turn
Alajuela Alajuela () is a district in the Alajuela canton of the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. By virtue of being the city of the first canton of the province, it i ...
and Guanacaste on his favor. He also won, again, the foreign vote winning all ballot booths overseas except Singapore were there was a tie. Fabricio kept
Puntarenas Puntarenas () is a city in the Puntarenas canton of Puntarenas Province, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Puntarenas canton, it is awarded the title of city, which is made from the Puntarenas, Chacarita and ...
and Limón as his strongholds and won in all cantons of Limon, most of the Punteranas cantons, four of the northern cantons of Alajuela ( San Carlos,
Upala Upala is a district of the Upala canton, in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. History Upala was granted the title of "ciudad" (city) by a law of May 4, 1970. Geography Upala has an area of km² and an elevation of metres. It is in the ...
,
Guatuso Guatuso is a canton in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. Toponymy It is named for the region's original inhabitants, an indigenous tribe whose survivors are now known as the Maleku and remain as residents of the area. History Guatuso was ...
and Los Chiles) and Sarapiqui in Heredia.
Abstentionism Abstentionism is standing for election to a deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business. Abstentionism differs from an election boycott in that abstentionists participate in ...
was less during the second round for the first time in history.


Polling and voters' behavior

During pre-campaign Juan Diego Castro emerged as one of the most popular political figures with around 51% of positive opinions, followed by
Antonio Álvarez Desanti Antonio Álvarez Desanti (born July 6, 1958) is a Costa Rican politician, lawyer and businessman who has served twice as List of Presidents of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, President of the Legislative Assembly (1995-1996 and 2016). He ...
with 36%, with Libertarian deputy
Otto Guevara Otto Guevara Guth (born 13 October 1960) is a politician in Costa Rica and founder of the Partido Movimiento Libertario (Libertarian Movement Party). He served in the Costa Rican legislature from 1998-2002 and 2014-2018. Guevara is currently the ...
and former president
José María Figueres José María Figueres Olsen (born 24 December 1954 in San José, Costa Rica) is a Costa Rican businessman and politician, who served as President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998. He also ran for president in the 2022 presidential election bu ...
as the ones with more negative opinions. After the PLN primary in which Desanti won over Figueres by slight margin, Desanti started the campaign as frontrunner for a while with up to 36% support in some early polls. Castro was also among the favorites even before he had a party supporting his candidacy (something required by law in Costa Rica as independent candidates are not allowed). As the campaign continued Desanti suffered a constant decrease in voters' intent. Castro remained as frontrunner for most of 2017, but an erratic and heavily controversial campaign begins to affect him losing support in January. PUSC's Rodolfo Piza remained as second in some polls, later replaced by Castro but still in third place. The "Cementazo" scandal affected heavily the parties involved (PAC, PLN, PUSC and ML) especially during November and December when the Parliamentary Committee investigating the issue made most of its hearings, with all parties facing a reduction on their support. The IACHR's ruling on same-sex marriage caused a turmoil in the country, with conservative candidate and staunch opponent
Fabricio Alvarado Fabricio () is a Spanish male given name. Fabrício () is the Portuguese equivalent. Among those with the first name are: *Fabricio Coloccini, Argentine footballer *Fabrício Guerreiro (born 1990), Brazilian mixed martial artist *Fabricio Oberto, A ...
showing a rapid increase in support passing from marginal percentages of around 2–6% to be in the lead with up to 17%. However, Carlos Alvarado's support also started to grow unusually fast especially in mid and late January with the later polls showing him surpassing other candidates including Castro and Piza, passing from sixth to third in a couple of days, and even in a technical tie with Desanti showing possibilities to go into the run-off. Castro appeared in fourth and Piza in fifth place as of late January. PAC's support historically tend to increase in January and after the debates, but it was also possible that its support came from more liberal voters fearful of a religious government. According to polls Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz took most of his support from
Evangelical Christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
voters who represented around 70% of his supporters, followed by 20% Roman Catholics and 8% with no religion. Carlos Alvarado Quesada, on the contrary, was mostly supported by Catholics with 52% of his voters belonging to that denomination, followed by 29%
non-religious Irreligion or nonreligion is the absence or rejection of religion, or indifference to it. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and ant ...
and 13% Protestants. Alvarado Quesada was most popular among urban voters with higher education, whilst Alvarado Muñoz had strong support by those with only elementary or high school levels of education. Also Alvarado Quesada was more popular among voters under 35, whilst Alvarado Muñoz was more popular among women under 35 and voters of both sexes over 55. A post-election study completed by the
University of Costa Rica The University of Costa Rica (Spanish: ''Universidad de Costa Rica,'' abbreviated UCR) is a public university in the Republic of Costa Rica, in Central America. Its main campus, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, is located in San Pedro M ...
showed that Alvarado Quesada's success was in part due to his performance in the debates, his campaign and defense of the Rule of law. Whilst Alvarado Muñoz' supporters mentioned defense of the traditional family, the fact that he was a believer and being an alternative to PAC. Religion wasn't such an important factor as originally thought, but 71% of Alvarado Quesada's voters mentioned Ronny Chaves'
anti-Catholic Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics or opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and/or its adherents. At various points after the Reformation, some majority Protestant states, including England, Prussia, Scotland, and the Uni ...
statements as something "bad or very bad", against 35% of Fabricio's voters expressing that such thing was indifferent to them. Roman Catholics were 60% more likely to vote for Carlos Alvarado than non-Catholics that were only 30%. Alvarado Quesada had also much more support from middle and
High Class High may refer to: Science and technology * Height * High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area * High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory * High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift ...
es especially from the urban areas and the Central Valley whilst Fabricio's support came from the periphery and coastal areas with higher poverty levels and where the population is lower and less willing to vote at all.


Polling tampering

The last poll of the second round scheduled for 28 March was canceled due to the fact that OPol Consultores' executives alleged that threats had been made against their collaborators. Shortly before this announcement, social media reported that a vehicle registered in the name of the
private limited company A private limited company is any type of business entity in "private" ownership used in many jurisdictions, in contrast to a publicly listed company, with some differences from country to country. Examples include the '' LLC'' in the United St ...
to which the pollster belongs and led by the director of the company traveled with flags of National Restoration. Also the poll published by the Institute of Population Studies (IDESPO) of the National University, the only one that showed a wide advantage on the part of Carlos Alvarado over Fabricio, was questioned almost immediately by the digital newspaper ''El Mundo'' questioning its methodology. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal and the University's Council reaffirmed the validity of the poll. The IDESPO poll would be the closest to the electoral result of the second round together with an informal poll conducted by the ''Los Paleteros'' ice cream company. After the campaign it was made public that during the second round the Executive Committee of the National Restoration Party had made payments to the polling company OPol according to financial reports submitted to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Party officials reported that these were political consultancies unrelated to the polls, however, subsequent investigations by the newspaper ''La Nación'' discovered a contract for the payment of the six polls that were carried out during the second round campaign, of which five were published by ''El Mundo''. In all of them Fabricio Alvarado appeared as the winner by a wide margin. They were immediately shared in the social media of the group and the candidate as well as party personalities and allies including deputy-elect and vice presidential candidate Jonathan Prendas and deputy Mario Redondo. Catherina Convertino, general manager of Opinión Política CyC, a
private limited company A private limited company is any type of business entity in "private" ownership used in many jurisdictions, in contrast to a publicly listed company, with some differences from country to country. Examples include the '' LLC'' in the United St ...
that owns both OPol and ''El Mundo'' newspaper, confirmed to ''La Nación'' that the second round polls had been requested by Juan Carlos Campos, head of the National Restoration campaign and that they decided to make it public following the debt of the party in the total payment of the contract.


Opinion polls


Results


President


By province

First round Abroad vote Runoff Abroad vote


Legislative Assembly

The National Liberation Party retained its parliamentary plurality despite being third on the presidential ticket with 17 seats, followed by the National Restoration Party obtaining 14, the first time in Costa Rica's history that a religious party gained such large number. The ruling party Citizens' Action became third with 10. This was the first time in Costa Rican history that a ruling party was neither the second nor the third-largest party. However, that changed after a break-up among the National Restoration deputies, which caused more than half to split from the party a few months after the election, thus turning PAC back into first minority. The
Social Christian Unity Party The Social Christian Unity Party ( es, Partido Unidad Social Cristiana) is a centre-right political party in Costa Rica. PUSC considers itself a Christian-democratic party and, as such, is a member of the Christian Democrat Organization of Ameri ...
gained one more seat (9). The left-wing Broad Front suffered a major setback losing most of its seats passing from 9 to 1, whilst right-wing National Integration returns to Congress for the first time in 20 years with 4 seats, but another schism between the party's leadership and the 2018's nominee Juan Diego Castro causes one of PIN's deputies (a Castro loyalist) to separate. The newly formed party Social Christian Republican gains two deputies.


By province


Reactions


Domestic

* Opponent candidate
Fabricio Alvarado Fabricio () is a Spanish male given name. Fabrício () is the Portuguese equivalent. Among those with the first name are: *Fabricio Coloccini, Argentine footballer *Fabrício Guerreiro (born 1990), Brazilian mixed martial artist *Fabricio Oberto, A ...
quickly acknowledge defeat and congratulated Carlos Alvarado who he called personally to his phone. He called for the Costa Rican family to be united and for families split by politics to embrace each other. * President of the Electoral Court Antonio Sobrado expressed satisfaction with the electoral process and said that "sovereign people has spoken". *
President of Costa Rica The president of the Republic of Costa Rica is the head of state and head of government of Costa Rica. The president is currently elected in direct elections for a period of four years, which is not immediately renewable. Two vice presidents are ...
Luis Guillermo Solís Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera (; born 25 April 1958) is a Costa Rican politician and educator who was the 47th President of Costa Rica from 2014 to 2018. He is a member of the Citizens' Action Party (PAC). Solís led the field in the 2014 pr ...
congratulated his successor and fellow party member and expressed his wish for Alvarado to accompany him to the
Summits of the Americas The Summit of the Americas (SOA) is an international summit meeting that brings together the leaders of countries in the Organization of American States (OAS). Cuba was expelled from the OAS under pressure from the United States after the Cuba ...
in mid-April, yet Alvarado declined. * Carlos Alvarado spoke to a crowd of followers in Plaza Roosevelt, San Pedro of Montes de Oca thanking the voluntary workers of his campaign, the members of the different parties that supported him and calling for a government of national unity, and for Congress to quickly solve issues like the
tax reform Tax reform is the process of changing the way taxes are collected or managed by the government and is usually undertaken to improve tax administration or to provide economic or social benefits. Tax reform can include reducing the level of taxati ...
and the Legislative bylaw.


International

;Supranational * – Alice Shackelford on behalf of the United Nations congratulated Costa Rica describing the elections as "peaceful and in an environment of respect" and congratulated voters for choosing a more inclusive society. * –
Secretary General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
Luis Almagro congratulated Alvarado Quesada as president elect and Costa Rica's people for what he called "the democratic festivity". ;States * –
Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the confidence of a majority the elected House of Commons; as su ...
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
spoke directly over the phone with Alvarado expressing his satisfaction with having another young voice among world leaders and describing Costa Rica as an example in human rights and environmental policies. * – Former
President of Chile The president of Chile ( es, Presidente de Chile), officially known as the President of the Republic of Chile ( es, Presidente de la República de Chile), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Chile. The president is r ...
Michelle Bachelet Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022. She previously served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and 2014 to 201 ...
congratulated both Carlos Alvarado and Epsy Campbell noticing Campbell's status as first person of
African descent Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in ...
in being Vice President of the ontinentalAmericas, expressing "Our Costa Rican brothers gave us a sample of democracy and inclusion, as necessary today". * –
President of Colombia The president of Colombia ( es, Presidente de Colombia), officially known as the president of the Republic of Colombia ( es, Presidente de la República de Colombia) or president of the nation ( es, Presidente de la Nacion) is the head of stat ...
Juan Manuel Santos Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (; born 10 August 1951) is a Colombian politician who was the President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. He was the sole recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. An economist by profession and a journalist by trade ...
said: "Count on Colombia to keep strengthening friendship bonds". * – Former
President of Ecuador The president of Ecuador ( es, Presidente del Ecuador), officially called the Constitutional President of the Republic of Ecuador ( es, Presidente Constitucional de la República del Ecuador), serves as both the head of state and head of govern ...
Rafael Correa Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado (; born 6 April 1963), known as Rafael Correa, is an Ecuadorian politician and economist who served as President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017. The leader of the PAIS Alliance political movement from its foundation ...
saluted Alvarado and gave a special salute to Campbell as first Black woman Vice President of Latin America closing with "
Gender equality Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...
,
ethnic An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
and
Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. Yo ...
". * –
President of Guatemala The president of Guatemala ( es, Presidente de Guatemala), officially known as the President of the Republic of Guatemala ( es, Presidente de la República de Guatemala), is the head of state and head of government of Guatemala, elected to a s ...
Jimmy Morales Jimmy Morales (born James Ernesto Morales Cabrera, ; 18 March 1969) is a Guatemalan politician, actor and comedian. From 2016 to 2020, he served as the 50th president of Guatemala. Early and personal life Morales was born in Guatemala City ...
congratulated the Costa Rican people and advocated for a "a more united and prosperous Central America". * –
President of Honduras The president of Honduras ( es, Presidente de Honduras) officially known as the President of the Republic of Honduras (Spanish: ''Presidente de la República de Honduras''), is the head of state and head of government of Honduras, and the Com ...
Juan Orlando Hernández Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado (; born 28 October 1968), also known as JOH, is a Honduran lawyer and politician who served as President of Honduras from 2014 to 2022. A member of the National Party, Hernández previously served as the presi ...
"express congratulations of behalf of the
Honduran people Hondurans (Spanish: ''Hondureñas'' or ''Hondureños'') are the citizens of Honduras. Most Hondurans live in Honduras, although there is also a significant Honduran diaspora, particularly in the United States, Spain, and many smaller communities ...
and the desire of tighten relationships." * –
President of Mexico The president of Mexico ( es, link=no, Presidente de México), officially the president of the United Mexican States ( es, link=no, Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Co ...
Enrique Peña Nieto Enrique Peña Nieto (; born 20 July 1966), commonly referred to by his initials EPN, is a Mexican politician who served as the 64th president of Mexico from 1 December 2012 to 30 November 2018. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party ...
described the election as "a sample of democratic maturity" congratulating Alvarado and announcing that with the new government "Mexico will continue strengthening the cooperation and economic bonds". * – President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega express his hope that the new government may be a way to improve relationships between the two countries. " * –
President of Panama This article lists the heads of state of Panama since the short-lived first independence from the Republic of New Granada in 1840 and the final separation from Colombia in 1903. Free State of the Isthmus (1840–1841) Republic of Panama (1 ...
Juan Carlos Varela Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez (; born 13 December 1963) is a Panamanian businessman and former politician who served as the President of Panama from 2014 to 2019. Varela was Vice President of Panama from 2009 to 2014, and Minister of Foreign ...
after congratulating Alvarado and the Costa Rican people also mentioned that "We'll keep working on a State agenda between our sister nations and peoples".". * –
President of the Spanish government The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government ( es, link=no, Presidente del Gobierno), is the head of government of Spain. The office was established in its current form by the Constitution of 1978 and it was first regula ...
Mariano Rajoy Mariano Rajoy Brey (; born 27 March 1955) is a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 2011 to 2018, when a vote of no confidence ousted his government. On 5 June 2018, he announced his resignation as People's Party lead ...
described Costa Rica and Spain as sister nations and said he was sure that both countries would continue strengthening bonds of friendship and cooperation, also highlighting Costa Rica's economic growth and inclusive development in the last governments. * –
United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
expressed its congratulations on behalf of the
US government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...
and described the elections as "pacific, fair and free" and Costa Rica as "promoter of economic prosperity, security and good government in the region." * – Foreign Minister
Jorge Arreaza Jorge Alberto Arreaza Montserrat (Venezuelan ; born 6 June 1973) is a Venezuelan politician who has held several important positions in the administration of President Hugo Chávez and his successor Nicolás Maduro. From August 2017 to August ...
on behalf of Nicolás Maduro congratulated Alvarado as president elect and the Costa Rican people, the
government of Venezuela Venezuela is a federation, federal presidential system, presidential republic. The Executive power, chief executive is the President of Venezuela who is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the President. ...
also made public an official statement.


References

{{Costa Rican elections 2018 elections in Central America 2018 in Costa Rica
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
February 2018 events in North America
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...