Laura Chinchilla, presidential candidate for the National Liberation Party, speaks to supporters during a rally marking the start of her election campaign in San Jose, Jan. 31, 2010. (Juan Carlos Ulate/Reuters)
Costa Rica: A woman in charge?
Costa Rica could elect its first female president. Given its progressive laws on women in politics, it's a wonder it's taken this long.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Laura Chinchilla’s four-year To Do list: Reduce extreme poverty. End the energy monopoly. Tax the casinos to help fund the fight against crime.
Chinchilla (pronounced chinchEEyuh) has consistently led in the polls and a victory in Sunday's elections would make her the country's first female president. She's currently teetering near the 40 percent mark...
Recent on Costa Rica:
Otto: Not Che Guevara
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - January 29, 2010 06:58 ET
Costa Ricans are confused about whether a libertarian candidate for president is on the right or left.
Special Report
Thomas Mucha - Commerce - January 28, 2010 17:24 ET
20 correspondents, 20 countries and a world of pain. Meet the ground truth of the global economic crisis.
Memories of harder times in Costa Rica
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - December 20, 2009 10:54 ET
The death of a controversial former president has jogged memories of Costa Rica's worst economic crisis.
Costa Rican creates plasma rocket to pick up space trash
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - November 19, 2009 06:26 ET
Franklin Chang Diaz wants to fuel the International Space Station and transport people to Mars with his plasma rocket.
The race for carbon neutrality
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - November 13, 2009 06:31 ET
Costa Rica wants to be the first country to go entirely carbon neutral. But do rising automobile emissions threaten that goal?
China and Costa Rica move toward free trade agreement
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - November 7, 2009 11:01 ET
China wants ties in the region, Costa Rica wants Chinese goods. But not everyone's pleased.
A World of Trouble: Is the nightmare over?
Thomas Mucha - Commerce - October 14, 2009 13:35 ET
With signs of economic recovery finally emerging, here's where things stand in 20 countries around the world.
Stem cell tourism in Central America
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - October 12, 2009 06:13 ET
Americans are flocking to Costa Rica for stem cell treatments. Is it a miracle cure or false hope?
Preparing for the Big One
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - September 27, 2009 08:45 ET
After years of warnings, Costa Rica is finally getting serious about disaster planning.
Meet the economic gangsters
Mark Scheffler - Commerce - August 12, 2009 09:03 ET
Economic gangsters come in all shapes and sizes — they're Asian dictators and Somali pirates.
Honduras, backed in a corner
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - July 30, 2009 12:37 ET
Do Zelaya and Micheletti have any choice but to sign the San Jose accord?
US job loss is Costa Rica's gain
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - July 16, 2009 12:55 ET
After closing shop in Indiana, a Firestone plant comes to rural Costa Rica.
Honduras negotiations falter
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - July 11, 2009 09:20 ET
Two days of intense negotiations in Costa Rica fail to bring about solution to Honduras stalemate.
An earthquake, revisited
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - July 9, 2009 13:04 ET
Six months after an earthquake devastated parts of Costa Rica, efforts to rebuild.
Honduran coup stuns friends and neighbors
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - June 30, 2009 06:01 ET
Ousted president tells of "brutal kidnapping" by army, as regional leaders lend support.
The celebrities are gone, but locals remain
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - June 29, 2009 05:39 ET
What life is really like in Sarapiqui, the setting for this season's "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of here!"
Where are all the tourists?
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - June 22, 2009 07:21 ET
Businesses try to lure travelers with discounts as tourism takes a dive.
In world of amphibians, a rare bright spot
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - June 18, 2009 09:16 ET
Scientists find a new species of frog in Costa Rica.
The sloths of Costa Rica
Alex Leff - Costa Rica - May 19, 2009 13:17 ET
Don't call them lazy. They're just digesting.
Global Blogs:
Costa Rica elects woman president
Mother Jungle - Costa Rica - February 8, 2010 08:27 ET
Laura Chinchilla won more than the required 40 percent of votes to land the title as first woman president of Costa Rica. The contenders didn’t seem to even come close, gaining at the time of poll closing, only in the 20 percentile for their parties. It’s being...
Costa Rica News
Stay on top of Costa Rica news as GlobalPost's correspondent takes readers inside this peaceful Central American nation. Through our Costa Rican news reports, videos and photographs, we aim to help readers gain a better understanding of the country and its people. Read exclusive stories on a variety of topics including Costa Rica's diversified economy, high standard of living and role as a U.S. trade partner.
Costa Rican News Online
If you wish to make comments about our Costa Rica news stories or receive periodic global news updates, please register. To access even more international news online, subscribe to Passport, our interactive, content-rich membership service designed to give you a competitive knowledge advantage.
Reporter's Notebook
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Young pregnant women sing a Spanish-language spoof of the Little Peggy March classic “I Will Follow Him.” A...Read more >
The Costa Rican president's living room once again became a comfort zone for troubled Hondurans Tuesday. This time, Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo...Read more >
Oscar Arias was the first head of state to call Manuel Zelaya's ouster a coup. Arias then volunteered to mediate between the exiled president and the...Read more >
Featured: Special Projects
Oceans:
Assessing their health
After the Fall:
20 years since the Berlin Wall came down
Life, Death and the Taliban:
Videos and stories
Study Abroad:
Students report from the road
Living in the Shadows:
An intimate look at China's migrant workers
A World of Trouble:
The global economy in 20 hotspots