Weekly Report - 15 January 2026 (WR-26-02)

Between 9 and 12 January Costa Rica’s electoral authority (TSE) held four debates between the 20 presidential candidates ahead of the 1 February general elections. The debates, which consisted of five candidates apiece, included a rare appearance by frontrunner Laura Fernández, who has cast herself as the heir to President Rodrigo Chaves who took office in May 2022 and is barred from seeking consecutive re-election. In the debate featuring Fernández she was duly targeted by the other four candidates over the government’s track record on key issues – not least security.