UPDATE 1-Costa Ricans vote as right-wing populists aim to extend mandate

Costa Ricans are voting in a general election on Sunday as the right-wing populist government seeks to extend its mandate and secure control of Congress at a time when drug-fueled violence has gripped the country. More importantly, Segura said she was worried about the implications on democracy. "I hope young people come out and vote because these are the most important elections.

Costa Ricans are voting in a general election on Sunday as the right-wing populist government seeks to extend its mandate and secure control of Congress at a time when drug-fueled violence has gripped the country. Laura Fernandez, President Rodrigo Chaves' protege and ⁠former chief of staff, is leading in the polls with just over 40%, enough to win outright and avoid an April 5 runoff. She has pledged to continue Chaves' tough security policies and anti-establishment message. Her closest rivals in the 20-person field are Alvaro Ramos, a centrist economist representing the National Liberation Party (PLN), Costa Rica's oldest political party. Another is Claudia Dobles, an architect representing a progressive ​coalition and a former first lady whose husband, Carlos Alvarado, served as president from 2018 to 2022. Both are polling in the single digits but are seen as the two most likely ‍to compete in a possible runoff if Fernandez falls short of 40%.

Fernandez also has asked voters to hand her 40 seats in the country's 57-seat legislative assembly, a supermajority that would allow her to pursue constitutional reforms. The current government holds just eight seats and has blamed congressional gridlock for blocking its agenda. Parks and plazas near voting centers around the country were filled with flag-waving supporters and election observers with voting underway.

In Esparza, a small town in the ⁠coastal province ‌of Puntarenas where Fernandez was born, the cyan-colored flags ⁠of her party outnumber the rest. Ricardo Mora, 59, grew up in Esparza and said he and his 11 siblings supported PLN most of their lives, but all but two of them are backing Fernandez because they were fed ‍up with corruption scandals and bad governance.

"They say whoever leans against the best tree gets the best shade, and she's in the president's shadow," Mora said, adding that he hopes for a second Chaves presidency after ​Fernandez. He also believes a supermajority in Congress is an important "emergency measure" to enact changes, pointing to El Salvador's Nayib Bukele as an example of how to reduce crime.

"After ⁠that, we can change them because too much power is bad for people," Mora said. Polls show about a quarter of the 3.7 million voters remain undecided, with the largest group being between the ages of 18-34.

Gabriela Segura, a 25-year-old business ⁠administrator, said one of her biggest concerns in this election was rising crime but she also wanted a candidate that would protect the country's public health system. More importantly, Segura said she was worried about the implications on democracy.

"I hope young people come out and vote because these are the most important elections. We're afraid of losing democracy," Segura said. "This is my second time ⁠voting and I've never felt this way because I didn't appreciate it as much until I saw that freedom might be taken away." Despite homicides surging to an all-time high during ⁠his term and multiple corruption investigations, Chaves remains deeply popular, ‌with a 58% approval rating according to University of Costa Rica's CIEP polling.

While consecutive reelection is not allowed in Costa Rica, Fernandez has vowed to include Chaves in her government and positioned herself as the continuity of his mandate. Polls opened at 6 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) ⁠and will remain open until 6 p.m. with early results expected to come in at 8:45 p.m.

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