¡Felicitaciones! Laura Chinchilla – Costa Rica’s President Elect
Today, February 7, 2010 Costarricenses literally celebrated democracy as its citizens enthusiastically went to polls and voted for the next president of the Republic of Costa Rica.
During the entire day cars and people paraded through the streets waving flags representing their candidates of choice.
Once the polls closed, parks filled with citizens celebrating the election and entire streets where closed off by police officials as peaceful and jubilant crowds grew in numbers to await the results.
At 9:30 p.m. closest rivals; Citizen’s Action Party (PAC, Partido Acción Ciudadana) candidate Ottón Solís and Libertarian Movement (ML, Partido Movimiento Libertario) candidate Otto Guevara both made speeches conceding defeat in the presidential national election – congratulating National Liberation Party (PLN, Partido Liberación Nacional) Laura Chinchilla on her victory as the unofficial president-elect.
President-elect Laura Chinchilla speaks to her supporters and the citizens of Costa Rica (photo: José Díaz/nacion.com)
At 10:15 p.m. Laura Chinchilla took to the stage at her campaign’s outdoor rally in the parking lot of the Crown Plaza Hotel Corobicí in Sabana Norte, San José to celebrate with both her supporters and the entire country via television, radio and web cast coverage of her acceptance speech.
Once confirmed as the official winner by the Costa Rica Tribunal Supremo de Eleccions, Laura Chinchilla will become the first woman president-elect in Costa Rica history.
Laura Chinchilla, former Costa Rica vice-president, was the hand-picked successor of current President Óscar Arias Sánchez. “Laura” as she is known to her supporters was the presidential front runner from the beginning of the current election cycle.
Background: Laura Chinchilla Miranda is married and the mother of one son. She graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University of Costa Rica (UCR, Universidad de Costa Rica) then went on to earn a Masters degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., USA.
Public career highlights include: Deputy Minister (Viceministra) 1994 – 1996, Minister of Public Security (Ministry de Seguridad Pública de Costa Rica) 1996 – 1998), President of the Joint Drug Intelligence Center (Presidenta del Centro de Inteligencia Conjunto Antidrogas), President of the National Immigration Council (Presidenta del Consejo Nacional de Migración), member of the National Drug Council (Consejo Nacional de Drogas), the National Security Council (Consejo Nacional de Seguridad) and the Academic Council of the National Police Academy (Consejo Académico de la Escuela Nacional de Policía). In 1997 Laura Chinchilla was declared the best Costa Rica cabinet minister and news figure of the year for her performance as head of the Public Security Ministry where she is credited with the most important police reforms in the past fifty years and making a commitment to fight drug trafficking that led to the biggest drug seizures throughout Costa Rica history.
Private career accomplishments include: Consultant in Latin America and Africa for various international agencies in the area of institutional reform, with special emphasis on judicial and public security reforms. Completed projects include assessments of the justice sector for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), coordination of studies and projects on judicial reform for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and assessments/advice on police reform for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Costa Rica, home to a small Jewish community of only 3,000 people, has also elected its first Jewish vice-president in Luis Lieberman. Lieberman, 63, is a former banker whose parents immigrated from Poland to Costa Rica to escape the German Nazis. Mr. Lieberman also has the distinction of being the grandson of the first Mohel (circumciser) of the Costa Rican Jewish community.
Laura Chinchilla will be inaugurated as the first female president of Costa Rica on May 8, 2010
¡Felicitaciones Presidenta Laura!
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Filed Under: Alajuela Province, Costa Rica • Cartago Province, Costa Rica • Casa Presidencial - Costa Rica Executive Branch • Costa Rica Culture (Cultura) • Drugs (Drogas) • Government • Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica • Heredia Province, Costa Rica • Immigration (Migracion) • Laws • Life • Limón Province, Costa Rica • Living in Costa Rica • Location • Migración - Costa Rica Immigration • Ministerio de Seguridad Publica - Security Ministry of Public Safety • News • Policía de Control de Drogas (PCD) - Drug Enforcement Police • Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica • San José Province, Costa Rica • Tribunal Supremo - Costa Rica Democratic Election Tribunal
About the Author: ¡Hola mi amorsh ... Bienvenidos "The Costa Rica Frog"!
I was born and raised in beautiful Costa Rica, Central America. Both me and my country find it's not easy being small and green, but we're trying hard every day.
¡Pura Vida!
