Laura Chinchilla Elected President of Costa Rica

RedTracker| Laura Chinchilla, former vice president of Costa Rica has claimed victory as the country’s new president and the 5th woman president in Latin America.  Chinchilla’s victory was decisive, with 47-48% of the vote. It was unclear if her National Liberation Party would gain a majority in congress.

‘Analyst Heather Berkman of the Eurasia Group said coalition building without a majority would likely delay or derail controversial fiscal reforms to shore up government finances and energy deregulation.’ via Huffington Post

Voters in Costa Rica are concerned about rising crime rates, even though the country remains comparatively the calm oasis described in American. The NYTimes writes that Laura Chinchilla follows the center-left welfare policies of her party, but is also a social conservative who opposes abortion and gay marriage. Ms. Chinchilla holds a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University and is the mother of a teenage boy.