Government & politics — Costa Rica

• history: many previous;
• latest effective 8 November 1949 amendments: proposals require the signatures of at least 10 Legislative Assembly members or petition of at least 5% of qualified voters; consideration of proposals requires two-thirds majority approval in each of three readings by the Assembly, followed by preparation of the proposal as a legislative bill and its approval by simple majority of the Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership; a referendum is required only if approved by at least two thirds of the Assembly; amended many times, last in 2020

• chief of state: President Rodrigo CHAVES Robles (since 8 May 2022); First Vice President Stephan BRUNNER Neibig (since 8 May 2022); Second Vice President Mary Denisse MUNIVE Angermuller (since 8 May 2022); note - the president is
• both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Rodrigo CHAVES Robles (since 8 May 2022); First Vice President Stephan BRUNNER Neibig (since 8 May 2022); Second Vice Preside
• Cabinet selected by the president elections/appointments: president and vice presidents directly elected on the same ballot by modified majority popular vote (40% threshold) for a 4-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms); election last held on 6 February 2022 with a runoff on 3 April 2022 (next to be held i
• n February 2026 with a runoff in April 2026) election results: 2022: Rodrigo CHAVES Robles elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jose Maria FIGUERES Olsen (PLN) 27.3%, Rodrigo CHAVES Robles (PPSD) 16.8%, Fabricio ALVARADO Munoz (PNR) 14.9%, Eliecer FEINZAIG Mintz (PLP) 12.4%, Lineth SABORIO Chaverri (PUSC) 12.4%, Jose Maria VILLALTA Florez-Estrada 8.7% (PFA), other 7.5%; percent of vote in second round - Rodrigo CHAVES Robles (PPSD) 52.8%, Jose Maria FIGUERES Olsen (PLN) 47.2% 2018: Carlos ALVARADO Quesada elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Fabricio ALVARADO Munoz (PRN) 25%; Carlos ALVARADO Quesada (PAC) 21.6%; Antonio ALVAREZ (PLN) 18.6%; Rodolfo PIZA (PUSC) 16%; Juan Diego CASTRO (PIN) 9.5%; Rodolfo HERNANDEZ (PRS) 4.9%, other 4.4%; percent of vote in second round - Carlos ALVARADO Quesada (PAC) 60.7%; Fabricio ALVARADO Munoz (PRN) 39.3%

Description

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - corresponding to the country's 7 provinces - by closed party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

Elections

last held on 6 February 2022 (next to be held in February 2026)

Election Results

• percent of vote by party - PLN 24.8%, PPSD 15%, PUSC 11.4%, PNR 10.1%, PLP 9.1%, 8.3%, other 21.3%
• seats by party - PLN 19, PPSD 10, PUSC 9, PNR 7, PLP 6, PFA 6;

Composition

men 30, women 27, percent of women 47.4%

• highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of 22 judges organized into 3 cassation chambers each with 5 judges and the Constitutio
• nal Chamber with 7 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Justice judges elected by the National Assembly for 8-year terms wit
• h renewal decided by the National Assembly subordinate courts: appellate courts; trial courts; first instance and justice of the peace courts; Superior Electoral Tribunal

• Accessibility Without Exclusion or PASE [Oscar Andres LOPEZ Arias]
• Broad Front (Frente Amplio) or PFA [Ana Patricia MORA Castellanos]
• Christian Democratic Alliance or ADC [Mario REDONDO Poveda]
• Citizen Action Party or PAC [Marta Eugenia SOLANO Arias]
• Costa Rican Renewal Party or PRC [Justo OROZCO Alvarez]
• Liberal Progressive Party or PLP [Eliecer FEINZAIG Mintz]
• Libertarian Movement Party or ML [Victor Danilo CUBERO Corrales]
• National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]
• National Liberation Party or PLN [Kattia RIVERA Soto]
• National Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos Luis AVENDANO Calvo]
• New Generation or PNG [Rodolfo SOLIS Herrera]
• New Republic Party or PNR [Francisco Javier PRENDAS Rodriguez]
• Patriotic Alliance [Jorge ARAYA Westover]
• Social Christian Republican Party or PRS [Otto ROBERTO Vargas]
• Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC of UNIDAD [Randall QUIROS Bustamante]
• Social Democratic Progress Party or PPSD [Luz Mary ALPIZAR Loaiza]

• yes residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Cynthia A. TELLES (since 11 March 2022) embassy: Calle 98 Via 104, Pavas, San Jose mailing address: 3180 St. George's Place, Washington DC 20521-3180

telephone

[506] 2519-2000

FAX

[506] 2519-2305

Email address and website

• acssanjose@state.gov
• https://cr.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Catalina CRESPO SANCHO (since 19 April 2023)

chancery

2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 499-2980

FAX

[1] (202) 265-4795

Email address and website

• embcr-us@rree.go.cr
• http://www.costarica-embassy.org/index.php?q=node/21

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington DC honorary consulate(s): San Juan (Puerto Rico), Saint Paul (MN), Tucson (AZ)