Laura Chinchilla

Chinchilla's Partido Liberación Nacional is a member of the Socialist International,[15] whose motto is the promotion of "progressive politics for a better world."

The British Foreign and Commonwealth minister with responsibility for Central America, Baroness Kinnock, applauded Chinchilla's election as the first female President of Costa Rica. Kinnock also praised Chinchilla for stating her continued support for the forward thinking approach by the previous government in working to combat climate change and said that the UK would continue to work with Costa Rica on this important issue in 2010.[16]

She was expected to give continuity to the previous government's pro-free trade policies. She is considered a social conservative.[17] She opposes gay marriage, but has stated publicly the need for a legal frame to provide fundamental rights to same-sex couples.[18] She supports maintaining the country's prohibition of abortion under most circumstances.[19]

Chinchilla's political platform emphasized anti-crime legislation in response to Costa Rica's growing concerns over safety. In 2010, the year in which Laura Chinchilla was elected president of Costa Rica, the country observed a high crime rate in practically all crimes, which contributed to deteriorating the perception of the state as guarantor of justice and security.[20]

Added to this was the economic insecurity caused by the international crisis of 2007 and 2008 that had hit the Costa Rican economy. Attending these circumstances, Chinchilla structured a government plan based on human security and with a comprehensive security approach,[21] which contemplated four key components:

• Economic security and competitiveness.
• Social security and welfare.
• Citizen security and social peace.
• Environmental security and development.

At the end of her term, the main achievements were:

The recovery of the economy from the effects of the international crisis of 2007–2008, which grew between 2010 and 2013, at an average rate of 4.4%, growth that has remained constant in recent years according to data from ECLAC,[22] this along with an improvement in the country's competitiveness indexes, according to the World Economic Forum[23] and the World Bank,[24] as well as the beginning of the process of incorporating Costa Rica into the OECD.[25]

In social matters, priority was given to the promotion of a comprehensive strategy for early childhood care. Her government developed a network of care centers with public-private partnerships, that benefit the children, as well as their mothers who aspire to enter the labor market. This program was recognized by international organizations.[26]

Regarding the issue of security, after conducting a citizen consultation, the Citizen Security and Social Peace Policy (POLSEPAZ) was designed,[27] defining the main strategic lines of action and the need to promote a comprehensive, sustainable and State policy on the matter.

With the implementation of this strategy and the prevention, control, and sanctions activities that were carried out, it was possible to contain the growth that criminality had been experiencing, and decrease homicide rates,[28] as well as intentional homicides against women, most of which are associated with domestic violence or femicide. They fell between 2010 and 2013 by nearly 70%.[29]

The government sustainability variable was expressed in the promotion of policies for the generation of clean energy which allowed that at the end of her period it exceeded 90% of electricity generation from renewable sources.[30]

Equal importance was given to the protection of the seas, through the extension of marine protection zones and a strong fight against shark finning,[31] all of which meant international recognition for the efforts made in sustainability.[32]

In 2013, however, the Mexican opinion poll firm Consulta Mitofsky released a survey that placed Chinchilla as the least popular president in Latin America with a 13% approval rate, just behind Porfirio Lobo of Honduras.[33]

During her tenure, improvements were made in security, and the homicide rate, originally 10 for every 100,000 inhabitants, dropped significantly . The WHO had the once high figure a “social pandemic” and it has fluctuated greatly in years prior.

Education became one Chinchilla's greatest priorities. She moved into action Article 78 of Costa Rica’s Constitution, The Strengthening Education Effort, whereby the government must allocate 8% of its funding toward education. During her tenure the actual figure reached 7.2%, the highest of any country in the region.

In October 2010, Nicaraguan forces occupied islands in the San Juan River delta. The land is claimed by the Nicaraguan and Costa Rican governments. Some observers opined that the Nicaraguan action was probably connected with President Daniel Ortega's reelection campaign.[34] The Costa Rican government reacted to the Nicaraguan action. Costa Rica sought to place the case before the International Court of Justice. By mid-2011, President Chinchilla decided to build a road along the river, as a response to what she and her government saw as a Nicaraguan invasion of Costa Rican territory. In Spanish Name of the Road The road was officially named “Ruta 1858, Juan Rafael Mora Porras” to honor a Costa Rican hero, who led the country in the fight in Nicaragua and Costa Rica against the forces of William Walker, who had proclaimed himself as president of Nicaragua, and wanted to restore slavery in Central America.

The road was to stretch more than 150 km. A decree of emergency allowed the government to waive environmental regulations and oversight from the General Comptroller (Contraloria General de la Republica). Neither environmental nor engineering studies were conducted before the road was announced. There were accusations of mismanagement and corruption. The Ministerio Publico (Costa Rican attorney general) announced an official inquiry about the charges of corruption. Francisco Jiménez, minister of public works and transportation was dismissed by Chinchilla as a consequence of the affair Minister dismissed by Chinchilla (in Spanish).

Chinchilla developed and signed the National Network of Care Act which works to provide care and assistance to children and the elderly.[35]

Chinchilla opposes any amendment of the constitution aimed at separation of church and state in Costa Rica. The constitution currently defines the Republic of Costa Rica as a Roman Catholic nation.[36] Her position contrasts with that of former President Óscar Arias Sánchez, who supports establishing a secular state.[37]

She is against legalizing the morning-after pill, which is banned in Costa Rica.[38]

Chinchilla has stated that while she supports LGBT rights and opposes discrimination based on sexual orientation, she believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and because of that she supports a different legal framework for same-sex couples. She signed into law on 4 July 2013 new legislation supporting civil partnerships that can be extended to same-sex unions.[39][40] She also stated that she would not oppose same-sex marriage if it was legalized by the country's courts.[41]

Environmental protection and sustainability is very important for the President, and she continues Costa Rica's level of leadership in these areas, for example, in May 2011 she declared the film Odyssey 2050 of 'Public and Cultural Interest'.[42]

In 2016, Chinchilla was considered one of the most powerful women in Central America according to the World Economic Forum.[43]