“Costa Rica has a long history of democratic stability, with a multiparty political system and regular rotations of power through credible elections. Freedoms of expression and association are robust. The rule of law is generally strong, though presidents have often been implicated in corruption scandals. Among other ongoing concerns, Indigenous people face discrimination, and land disputes involving Indigenous communities persist.”
Source: Costa Rica. In Shahbaz A., Gorokhovskaia Y., Slipowitz A., et al, eds. Freedom In The World 2023. Freedom House, 2023. Last accessed July 26, 2023.
“The president is directly elected for a four-year term and can seek a nonconsecutive second term. Presidential candidates must win 40 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. In April 2022, Rodrigo Chaves of the center-right Social Democratic Progress Party (PPSD) was elected president, winning 53 percent of the vote in the runoff to defeat former president José María Figueres of the National Liberation Party (PLN). The elections were free and fair, but both rounds featured a low voter turnout.”
Source: Costa Rica. In Shahbaz A., Gorokhovskaia Y., Slipowitz A., et al, eds. Freedom In The World 2023. Freedom House, 2023. Last accessed July 26, 2023.
“Elections for the 57-seat unicameral Legislative Assembly occur every four years. Deputies, elected by proportional representation, may not run for two consecutive terms, but may run again after skipping a term. No party won a majority in the February 2022 general elections, which saw the PLN become the largest party in the legislature after winning 19 seats, followed by the PPSD, which won 10. Four other parties entered the legislature with fewer than 10 seats each.”
Source: Costa Rica. In Shahbaz A., Gorokhovskaia Y., Slipowitz A., et al, eds. Freedom In The World 2023. Freedom House, 2023. Last accessed July 26, 2023.
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Page last updated March 29, 2025 by Doug McVay, Editor.