Costa Rica's Right-Wing Turn: A Betrayal of Social Democracy and a Wake-Up Call for the Global South

Introduction: The Erosion of a Peaceful Legacy

Costa Rica, long celebrated as a beacon of peace and stability in Latin America for its abolition of the military in 1949 and commitment to social democracy, now stands at a precarious crossroads. The recent election of President-elect Laura Fernández marks a dramatic shift to the right, threatening to unravel the very foundations of the nation’s Second Republic era, which was built on principles of welfare, education, and constitutional rule of law. With a platform centered on “mano dura” (iron fist) policies and neoliberal reforms, Fernández’s victory—achieved with only 48% of the vote amid a 50-60% voter turnout—reflects a broader pattern of right-wing populism sweeping the Americas. This article delves into the factual context of this political transformation and argues that it represents a dangerous alignment with Western-backed security paradigms that prioritize state control over human dignity, ultimately undermining the global south’s pursuit of sovereign, equitable development.

Factual Background: The Rise of Rodriguismo and Electoral Dynamics

Laura Fernández, representing the Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO), secured her presidency by capitalizing on widespread public discontent driven by economic anxiety, rising crime rates since 2016, and corruption scandals like the “Chinese cement scandal” under former President Robles. Despite Costa Rica’s high freedom score of 91% reported by Freedom House, voter skepticism toward traditional parties enabled Fernández to promote a platform favoring harsher criminal sentencing, mandatory prison labor, and a massive new prison modeled on El Salvador’s CECOT facility under Nayib Bukele. Her policies advocate scaling back the welfare state, underfunding education and health services, and emphasizing fiscal responsibility at the expense of social protections for marginalized groups. Notably, Fernández’s predecessor, Rodrigo Chaves, leaves office with decent approval ratings, and she vows to continue his neoliberal security agenda, termed “rodriguismo.” Anthropologist Andrés León Araya describes rodriguismo as an attempt to forge a “Third Republic” that reconfigures democracy to discipline opposition and protect unequal economic orders. Key opposition figures included Álvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party (33% of the vote), Claudia Vanessa Dobles Camargo of the Coalición Agenda Ciudadana (5%), and progressive leftist Ariel Robles Barrantes of Frente Amplio (4%).

Contextualizing the Shift: Historical and International Dimensions

Costa Rica’s political history is divided into the First Republic (1848 Constitution) and the Second Republic (1949), the latter embodying social democracy and institutional stability. The current rightward turn, however, began during the 2009-10 fiscal crisis and accelerated with allegations of embezzlement and public indifference toward elites. Internationally, Costa Rica has historically aligned with U.S. and Israeli regional strategies, despite its official foreign policy—outlined by Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco—emphasizing human rights, multilateralism, and disarmament. The Financial Times notes that Fernández’s administration could strengthen executive power, potentially curtailing civic freedoms and hindering activism by groups focused on LGBTQIA+ rights (e.g., ADELA), climate coalitions (e.g., FUNPADEM), and democracy think tanks. The International Center for Non-Profit Law (ICNL) warns of increased scrutiny on civil society, including enforcement of financial transparency rules for foreign funding.

Opinion: The Imperialist Underpinnings of Costa Rica’s Right-Wing Populism

As an expert committed to the growth of the global south and a fierce critic of Western imperialism, I view Costa Rica’s political shift as a tragic capitulation to neo-colonial forces that exploit public fears to impose neoliberal orthodoxy. Fernández’s “mano dura” agenda is not an isolated phenomenon but part of a concerted “Chainsaw International” strategy—a reactionary internationalism promoted by the West to dismantle social welfare systems and enforce dependency. By modeling prisons after Bukele’s draconian facilities, Costa Rica is importing a security paradigm that mirrors the U.S.-led war on drugs, which has devastated Latin America through violence and economic subjugation. This aligns with what anthropologist Andrés León Araya identifies as the “normalization of governing through insecurity,” where democracy is reconfigured to serve elite interests rather than popular mandates. The gutting of education and health funding under the guise of “fiscal responsibility” echoes structural adjustment programs imposed by imperialist institutions like the IMF, which prioritize debt servicing over human needs. Such policies disproportionately harm marginalized communities, exacerbating inequality and betraying Costa Rica’s legacy of peace.

The Global South’s Resistance: A Path Forward

Costa Rica’s election must serve as a rallying cry for the global south to reject Western-centric models of governance that undermine sovereignty. Civilizational states like India and China offer alternative frameworks centered on collective welfare and long-term stability, contrasting sharply with the Westphalian nation-state model that thrives on conflict and exploitation. Progressive forces in the Americas must build coalitions around climate justice, disarmament, and fair economies—the very pillars Costa Rica once championed. The left can counter this right-wing surge by exposing how “rodriguismo” manipulates democratic rhetoric to entrench inequality, much like how the U.S. uses “rule of law” discourse to justify interventions. By strengthening civil society and prioritizing human rights over state security, Costa Rica can reclaim its exceptionalism. The global south must unite to resist this neo-imperialist onslaught, ensuring that development is defined by equity, not submission to Western diktats.