Costa Rica: very tight duel for the second round of the presidential election
José María Figueres and Rodrigo Chaves © REUTERS - AFP
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2 mins
This Sunday, April 3, 3.5 million Costa Rican voters are called to the polls to elect their next head of state during the second round of presidential elections.
Two candidates are competing: José Maria Figueres, ex-president of Costa Rica between 1994 and 1998, and the economist and former finance minister, Rodrigo Chaves.
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With our correspondent in the region
,
Gwendolina Duval
It is a tight duel which is announced.
According to the latest estimates, Rodrigo Chaves and his opponent José Maria Figueres are almost tied, but the choice between the two controversial candidates does not seem to
excite voters.
18% of voters say they are still undecided.
In any case, the campaign has been largely occupied by the scandals surrounding the two candidates.
Conservative Rodrigo Chaves embodies political change but arouses Costa Rican outrage.
He is accused of sexual harassment by a dozen women while he held a position at the World Bank.
He was also sanctioned by the international financial organization after an investigation, but he minimizes the facts.
As for his adversary José Maria Figueres, he represents liberal and elitist politics.
Former president in the 90s, he was accused in a corruption case.
Figueres denied the facts but went into exile in Europe for 7 years and thus escaped summons to justice.
Economy, inflation and the fight against corruption
The challenges awaiting the next president of Costa Rica are significant.
Once in power, he will have to revive the economy, which is very dependent on tourism and which has been badly affected by
the Covid-19 pandemic
.
The country also faces increasing poverty and rising food and fuel prices.
The winner of the election will also have to take in hand the subject of the fight against corruption in the public sector.
“
April 3 is going to be a real revolution in the history of this country.
We are going to clean the house
, ”said Mr. Chaves during his last meeting.
For his part, the former head of state José Figueres declared during his end-of-campaign rally that "
this election is different from all those that preceded it (...) our future is at stake
" .
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