Laura Fernández Delgado
Laura Fernández Delgado | |
|---|---|
 Fernández in 2017 | |
| President-elect of Costa Rica | |
| Assuming office 8 May 2026 | |
| Vice President | Francisco Gamboa (elect) Douglas Soto (elect) |
| Succeeding | Rodrigo Chaves Robles |
| Minister of the Presidency of Costa Rica | |
| Assumed office 4 February 2026 | |
| President | Rodrigo Chaves Robles |
| Preceded by | Herself |
| In office 22 June 2024 – 31 January 2025 | |
| President | Rodrigo Chaves Robles |
| Preceded by | Natalia Díaz Quintana |
| Succeeded by | Herself |
| Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy of Costa Rica | |
| In office 8 May 2022 – 8 January 2025 | |
| President | Rodrigo Chaves Robles |
| Preceded by | Pilar Garrido Gonzalo |
| Succeeded by | Marta Esquivel Rodríguez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado 4 July 1986 Puntarenas, Costa Rica |
| Party | PPSO (since 2025) |
| Other political affiliations | Christian Democratic Alliance (2018–2025) |
| Spouse | Jeffrey Umaña Avendaño |
| Alma mater | University of Costa Rica |
| Occupation | Political scientist, politician |
Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado (Spanish: [ˈlawɾa βiɾˈxinja feɾˈnandes ðelˈɣaðo]; born 4 July 1986) is a Costa Rican politician, political scientist and the president-elect of Costa Rica.[1] As the presidential candidate of the Sovereign People's Party, Fernández won the 2026 presidential election. She previously served as the minister of national planning and economic policy from 2022 to 2025, as well as the minister of the presidency from 2024 to 2025.
Early life
[edit]Born in Puntarenas,[2] Fernández studied politics and democratic governance at the University of Costa Rica.[3][4]
Political career
[edit]From 2008 to 2010, Fernández was a consultant for the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy's State Reform Program as a member of the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GIZ). She became a civil servant in the ministry in 2010 and served as a modernization and dispatch advisor until 2014. Fernández was an advisor to the Legislative Assembly from 2014 to 2018 on matters regarding public spending, finance, income, and government reforms.[5] During the 2018 Costa Rican presidential election, Fernández was one of Mario Redondo's vice presidential candidates.[6]
In 2018, Fernández became a researcher at the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy, focusing on government cooperation, public employment, and administrative reform. From 2020 to 2021, she served as director of strategic planning for the municipality of Cartago, before returning to her role as a researcher at the ministry.[6] On 8 May 2022, President Rodrigo Chaves Robles appointed Fernández as the minister of national planning and economic policy. Chaves also appointed Fernández as Minister of the Presidency on 21 June 2024, succeeding Natalia Díaz Quintana. On 11 July 2024, she signed a decree establishing 30 July as a day to commemorate women's suffrage in Costa Rica. On 31 January 2025, Fernández resigned from her ministerial positions to be eligible to run as a presidential candidate in the 2026 Costa Rican presidential election.[7]
President-elect of Costa Rica
[edit]On 29 July 2025, Fernández officially announced her presidential candidacy as a member of the Sovereign People's Party (PPSO).[8] She presented herself as a continuation of Chaves's presidency, as Chaves is term limited, and as a supporter of Chavism.[3][9] Fernández was one of twenty presidential candidates and one of five female candidates.[10] She was elected president with 48.3% of the vote.[11]
On 2 February 2026, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Fernández in a press statement, "Under her leadership, we are confident Costa Rica will continue to advance shared priorities to include combatting narco-trafficking, ending illegal immigration to the United States, promoting cybersecurity and secure telecommunications, and strengthening economic ties."[12] Fernández resumed her role as Minister of the Presidency on 4 February.[13]
Fernández will be sworn in on 8 May 2026 as the second female president of Costa Rica after Laura Chinchilla.[14] Supporting a "Third Republic" in Costa Rica, she has pledged to reform the government, fight corruption, expand free enterprise, and promote trade, in addition to strengthening Costa Rica–Israel relations.[15][16][17]
She is described as right-wing populist.[18][19][20]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Villegas, Alexander (2 February 2026). "Costa Rican populists win commanding victory but fall short of legislative supermajority". Reuters.
- ^ Ahmad, Amreen (2 February 2026). "Who is Laura Fernandez ? Elected Costa Rica President with 48.3% Vote in 2026 Election | Everything You Need to Know". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ a b Arias, Héctor (7 September 2025). "¿Quién es Laura Fernández? Edad, Biografía y Candidatura Presidencial 2026 en Costa Rica" [Who Is Laura Fernández? Age, Biography, and 2026 Presidential Candidate in Costa Rica]. Voces de Costa Rica (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ^ "Laura Fernández: La Economista que Apuesta por un País Más Eficiente y Moderno" [Laura Fernández: The Economist Who Believes in a More Efficient and Modern Country]. Noticias Red CR (in Spanish). 16 October 2025. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Laura Fernández Delgado: Perfil Académico y Profesional" [Laura Fernández Delgado: Academic and Professional Profile] (PDF). Supreme Electoral Court (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ a b Batista Márquez, Marilyn (20 November 2017). "A los 31 Años Aspira a Convertirse en Vice Presidenta de la República" [At 31 Years Old, She Aspires to Become Vice President of the Republic]. Revista Petra (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Mora, Carlos (30 January 2025). "Laura Fernández Deja Presidencia Tras 7 Meses de Constantes Cuestionamientos" [Laura Fernández Leaves the Presidency After 7 Months of Constant Questioning]. CR Hoy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Exministra Laura Fernández Oficializa su Candidatura Presidencial por el Chavismo" [Former Minister Laura Fernández Formalizes Her Presidential Candidacy for Chavism]. El País.cr (in Spanish). 29 July 2025. Archived from the original on 29 July 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ Murillo, Álvaro (13 August 2025). "Una Exministra Leal, la Apuesta de Rodrigo Chaves en las Presidenciales en Costa Rica" [A Loyal Former Minister, Rodrigo Chaves's Gamble in the Costa Rican Presidential Election]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 25 November 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Estos son los 20 Candidatos a Presidente de Costa Rica para las Elecciones 2026" [These are the 20 Candidates for President of Costa Rica in the 2026 Elections]. Grupo de Diarios América (in Spanish). 1 October 2025. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Conservative populist Laura Fernández wins Costa Rican presidency, preliminary results show". AP News. 2 February 2026. Archived from the original on 2 February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ "Congratulating Costa Rica's President-Elect Laura Fernández Delgado's Electoral Victory". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 2 February 2026. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ Arrieta, Esteban (4 February 2026). "Laura Fernández empieza a gobernar como ministra de la Presidencia". Periodico La República. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ^ Muñoz-Ledo, Rocío (2 February 2026). "Laura Fernández asumirá en mayo como la segunda mujer presidenta de Costa Rica" [Laura Fernández will take office in May as Costa Rica's second female president] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ Bolaños, Javier (2 February 2026). "Laura Fernández wins Costa Rica presidency after first-round victory, invokes faith in victory speech". www.christianpost.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2026. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Costa Rica elects Laura Fernandez president in first round - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ Feldman, Joseph (2 February 2026). "Israeli FM Congratulates Costa Rica's Laura Fernández on Election Lead, Vows to Deepen Ties". VINnews. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Client Challenge". www.ft.com. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ Carnahan, Ashley (3 February 2026). "Who is the populist conservative president-elect in Costa Rica?". Fox News. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ Murillo, Alvaro; Villegas, Alexander (3 February 2026). "Laura Fernandez, Costa Rica's next president, aims to keep on populist path".
External links
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