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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Costa Rica elects first female president |
| 2010-02-09 |
| Laura Chinchilla has won a landslide victory to become the next president of Costa Rica. Mrs Chinchilla will become the first woman to lead her country after securing a clear victory in the presidential election. "Thank you, Costa Rica!" said Mrs Chinchilla, the candidate of the ruling National Liberation Party, addressing thousands of supporters after her top rival conceded defeat. "This is a moment for joy, but above all, also a moment for humility," the president-elect continued. "I will not betray your confidence because it is clear that it has not been given to me as a gift." Mrs Chinchilla, the protégé of Nobel peace laureate President Oscar Arias, is set to take office on May 8. The 50-year-old career politician was born into a political family and served as public safety minister, congressional deputy and most recently as vice president and justice minister in outgoing President Arias's cabinet. Married with a teenage son, Mrs Chinchilla is a social conservative – opposing gay marriage, abortion and any change to Roman Catholicism's position as the state religion. Costa Rica's development strategy in recent years has centred around boosting tourism and exports, mainly fruit and high-quality coffee, but increasingly also manufactured goods such as microchips, through free-trade pacts. "These are priority issues for us," Chinchilla said. "The greatest challenge we face in the coming years is to take the absolute most of these trade treaties." |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #9 Actually Laura Chinchilla looks like Olympia Snow. Glasses, where are my glasses? |
| Posted by: Gliting Fillmore5526 2010-02-09 11:19 |
| #8 Besoeker Ditto! |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2010-02-09 10:08 |
| #7 So , i think the National Liberation Party needs a name change considering they have been liberated .. National Cinchilla Movement maybe ? Good luck to Costa Rica, I enjoy a mug of their coffee every morning . It works ! buzz |
| Posted by: Oscar 2010-02-09 08:46 |
| #6 ...career politician was born into a political family and served as public safety minister, congressional deputy and most recently as vice president and justice minister in outgoing President Arias's cabinet. Hopefully she will successfully overcome these...credentials. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-02-09 08:17 |
| #5 Was her campaign slogan "In Costa Rica you need a Chinchilla"? |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-02-09 08:14 |
| #4 Costa Rica is quietly developing a solid democracy and open economy with a functioning middle class. One of the people helping to make that happen is a former citizen who became a NASA astronaut, Frank Chang Diaz (PhD in plasma physics, MIT). After a trully stellar career (pun intended), including 7 space flights as well as directing the Advanced Propulsion Lab, Diaz founded his own company to develop plasma-based propulsion systems for space exploration. He gives a lot of his time and energy to encouraging Costa Ricans into rigorous science and engineering careers and has backed that up by basing part of his company in Costa Rica and employing the very good ones. He's a good example of some of the people quietly leading that country into peace, prosperity and a decent, orderly and free society. Chincilla's election is just one evidence that the people there are taking the message to heart. |
| Posted by: lotp 2010-02-09 07:45 |
| #3 One more rodent poilitician. |
| Posted by: Formerly Dan 2010-02-09 07:37 |
| #2 |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2010-02-09 07:05 |
| #1 I feel all warm and fuzzy. |
| Posted by: mojo 2010-02-09 00:15 |