On Sunday, newly-elected Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves vowed to “put the house in order” and “rebuild it” as began his four-year term, pledging to tackle corruption and the stratification of power.
His inauguration ceremony was attended by representatives from over 100 countries, including the leaders of Kosovo, Colombia, Morocco, the Dominican Republic, and Panama. Alongside Chaves, Vice President Stephen Brunner and Second Vice President Mary Munive were also sworn in.
The former World Bank official, who also briefly served as Minister of Finance under Quesada, defeated former President José María Figueres with 53% of the votes in the country’s run-off election back in April. Enthusiasm for the new leader remains quite low, as evidenced by the fact that voter turnout was recorded at just 58%.
#San_José | On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques @KingSalman, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E @W_Elkhereiji participated in the inauguration ceremony of the President of the Republic of #CostaRica H.E Rodrigo Chaves. 🇸🇦🇨🇷 pic.twitter.com/jB7w8ShsZW
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) May 9, 2022
After being handed the reins by outgoing President Carlos Alvarado Quesada, the country’s 49th president lambasted his predecessor for forcing him to deal with multiple concurrent crises, including the high cost of living, rising prices (gasoline, rice, and electricity), crime, drug trafficking, and poverty. Keeping in mind the precariousness of the situation, the conservative leader said, “If the political class fails one more time, the country could fall apart.”
Much of this has to do with the multiple scandals Chaves is embroiled in. He is currently under investigation for illegal campaign financing and was forced to leave his job at the World Bank following allegations of sexual harassment.
Nevertheless, Chaves has insisted that his victory marked a “revolution” by the nation’s marginalized communities against its elites, pointing out how his right-wing Social Democratic Party was “the newest party, the party with the fewest resources, the party that never was in government, not even in the Legislative Assembly.”
It was an honor to represent the Biden-Harris Administration in Costa Rica for the inauguration of President Rodrigo Chaves Robles. pic.twitter.com/KbtS1hjgV6
— Secretary Miguel Cardona (@SecCardona) May 8, 2022
However, his ability to fulfil his anti-establishment manifesto is questionable, given that his party won just 10 out of 57 seats in the parliament.
Nevertheless, following his victory last month, he declared, “For me, this is not a medal nor a trophy, but rather an enormous responsibility, heaped with challenges and difficulties that we will all resolve.”
Chaves has also pledged to tackle gender discrimination and abuse of women. He proclaimed on Sunday: “We will not tolerate the harassment they (women) suffer every day and in all areas of society,” adding, “It cannot be that our women are afraid to walk alone on the street, feel afraid in their own home, at work, in a park, at a concert.” Feminist groups, however, are unconvinced by Chaves’ suitability to enact such changes, given his chequered past in this regard.
Economist Rodrigo Chaves swears in as Costa Rica's new president, promising to revive the economy pic.twitter.com/SObmQLtCk2
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) May 9, 2022
An internal investigation at the World Bank found that Chaves was guilty of a “pattern of inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature” and made several unwelcome comments and sexual advances. He was also demoted and prevented from receiving promotions or raises. Chaves, for his part, has offered a “sincere apology” and insisted that his “jokes” were “misinterpreted due to cultural differences.”
Chaves, though, has much more on his plate than just tackling sexual harassment allegations. In fact, as he alluded to in his address on Sunday, 23% of the country is in poverty, with 6.30% facing extreme poverty. Furthermore, foreign debt has risen to 70% of the GDP, the unemployment rate stands at 13.6%. Costa Rica’s heavily tourism-reliant economy was battered by the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery has been difficult. To this end, Chaves has outlined a plan to “improve” the terms of the $1.7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.
On the topic of the economy, Chaves has said his goal is to boost youth employment and reduce the cost of electricity, medicine, and rice. He has also pushed for a universal minimum pension. While reassuring that no new taxes shall be levied, the President intends to “collect the taxes that are already legislated and that are legal.”
Costa Rica's new president Rodrigo Chaves, elected despite a cloud of sexual harassment allegations, took the oath of office Sunday with promises to revive the economy and end the abuse of women in his country https://t.co/iZ4ln4mVDV pic.twitter.com/6HsbczLRRQ
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 8, 2022
He has also expressed his opposition to environmental policies and underscored the need to expand oil and gas extraction. Furthermore, he has said he will not ratify the Escazu Agreement, a regional pact that calls for greater transparency regarding potentially harmful projects and policies, and increased accountability for those violating regulations. However, he has said he is committed to a future in which Costa Rica “burns less hydrocarbons.”
Regarding corruption, Chaves has offered to protect whistle-blowers and also contemplated rewarding people who report corruption against civil servants, as dealing with corruption in public offices has been a centrepiece of his electoral campaigns.
On the topic of foreign relations, Chaves has previously hinted at restoring diplomatic ties with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who is accused of suppressing opposition and illegally extending his term in office. However, he has since dropped plans to reinstate an ambassador in the country.
Costa Rica, presidential election runoff, CIEP poll:
— America Elects (@AmericaElige) April 2, 2022
Chaves (PPSD, centre): 52.1%
Figueres (PLN, centre): 47.9%
Fieldwork: March 24-28, 2022
Size: N/A#CostaRica pic.twitter.com/yhZ6Rt9ovD
He has also suggested that he will recognise Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the legitimate leader of the country instead of President Nicolás Maduro. In fact, Guaidó was invited to the inauguration ceremony.
Chaves’ policies will also need to address the rise in migratory flows to the United States (US) via Central American countries. Just last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the need for a “strong” Latin American pact to deal with migration and offered support to nations such as Costa Rica in accommodating migrants.
In March alone, US border authorities reportedly arrested 210,000 migrants attempting to enter the country through the southern border with Mexico, marking the highest monthly total in two decades and a 24% increase from the same month last year. Around 170,000 migrants are currently waiting in camps in Mexico. Officials in bordering states in the US have said that current federal funding is insufficient to deal with such a huge influx.