Laura Fernández Delgado
President of Costa Rica since 2026
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado (Spanish: [ˈlawɾa βiɾˈxinja feɾˈnandes ðelˈɣaðo]; born 4 July 1986) is a Costa Rican politician and political scientist who has served as the President of Costa Rica since 2026.[2] As the presidential candidate of the Sovereign People's Party, Fernández won the 2026 presidential election. She previously served as the minister of national planning and economic policy from 2022 to 2025, as well as the minister of the presidency from 2024 to 2025.
Laura Fernández Delgado | |
|---|---|
Fernández in 2026 | |
| 50th President of Costa Rica | |
| Assumed office 8 May 2026 | |
| Vice President | Francisco Gamboa Douglas Soto |
| Preceded by | Rodrigo Chaves Robles |
| Minister of the Presidency | |
| In office 4 February 2026 – 8 May 2026 | |
| President | Rodrigo Chaves Robles |
| Preceded by | Herself |
| Succeeded by | Rodrigo Chaves Robles |
| In office 22 June 2024 – 31 January 2025 | |
| President | Rodrigo Chaves Robles |
| Preceded by | Natalia Díaz Quintana |
| Succeeded by | Herself |
| Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy | |
| In office 8 May 2022 – 8 January 2025 | |
| President | Rodrigo Chaves Robles |
| Preceded by | Pilar Garrido Gonzalo |
| Succeeded by | Marta Esquivel Rodríguez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado 4 July 1986 Puntarenas, Costa Rica |
| Party | PPSO (since 2025) |
Other political affiliations | Christian Democratic Alliance (2018–2025) |
| Spouse | Jeffrey Umaña Avendaño ( m. 2020) |
| Children | 1[1] |
| University of Costa Rica | |
| Occupation |
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Early life
Fernández was born on 4 July 1986 in Puntarenas and studied politics and democratic governance at the University of Costa Rica.[3][4][5]
Political career
From 2008 to 2010, Fernández was a consultant for the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy's State Reform Program as a member of the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GIZ). She became a civil servant in the ministry in 2010 and served as a modernization and dispatch advisor until 2014. Fernández was an advisor to the Legislative Assembly from 2014 to 2018 on matters regarding public spending, finance, income, and government reforms.[6] During the 2018 Costa Rican presidential election, Fernández was one of Mario Redondo's vice presidential candidates.[7]
In 2018, Fernández became a researcher at the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy, focusing on government cooperation, public employment, and administrative reform. From 2020 to 2021, she served as director of strategic planning for the municipality of Cartago, before returning to her role as a researcher at the ministry.[7] On 8 May 2022, President Rodrigo Chaves Robles appointed Fernández as the minister of national planning and economic policy. Chaves also appointed Fernández as Minister of the Presidency on 21 June 2024, succeeding Natalia Díaz Quintana. On 11 July 2024, she signed a decree establishing 30 July as a day to commemorate women's suffrage in Costa Rica. On 31 January 2025, Fernández resigned from her ministerial positions to be eligible to run as a presidential candidate in the 2026 Costa Rican presidential election.[8]
Presidency (2026–present)
Election and Presidential transition
On 29 July 2025, Fernández officially announced her presidential candidacy as a member of the Sovereign People's Party (PPSO).[9] She presented herself as a continuation of Chaves' presidency, as Chaves is term limited, and as a supporter of Chavism.[4][10] Fernández was one of twenty presidential candidates and one of five female candidates.[11] She was elected president with 48.3% of the vote.[12]
Her victory was congratulated by many Latin American leaders, the Prime Minister of Spain and the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.[13][14][15] Fernández resumed her role as Minister of the Presidency on 4 February.[16]
Fernández will be sworn in on 8 May 2026 as the second female president of Costa Rica after Laura Chinchilla.[17] Supporting the Chavista idea of a "Third Republic" in Costa Rica, she has pledged to reform the government, fight corruption, expand free enterprise, and promote trade, in addition to strengthening Costa Rica–Israel relations.[18][19][20]
Her political positions are described as right-wing populist.[21][22][23]
She presented her cabinet on 5 May 2026 at Melico Salazar Theatre, and in which she included outgoing president Rodrigo Chaves as the new minister of presidency and finance.[24]
Inauguration
Fernandez Delgado was sworn in as President on 8 May 2026. Her inauguration took place in the National Stadium of Costa Rica and attended by multiple foreign officeholders and politicians, including Felipe VI, José Raúl Mulino, Luis Abinader, Nasry Asfura, José Antonio Kast, and Isaac Herzog, among others.[25]
