San José, Costa Rica - The 2026 Costa Rican presidential campaign officially launched this week with a field of 20 candidates, setting the stage for a complex electoral contest marked by internal party divisions and a critically important number of contenders with ties to the current governance.
Among the hopefuls, four are former members of President Rodrigo Chaves‘s cabinet: Luis Amador (National Integration Party – PIN), Natalia Díaz (UP), Laura Fernández (PPSO), and Álvaro Ramos, former executive president of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS). This influx of former government officials adds a unique dynamic to the race, with varying degrees of alignment with the current president.
Early polling indicates that José María Feinzaig, representing the National Liberation Party (PLN), currently holds a lead with 12.40% support – a figure very close to the 259,767 votes received by Lineth Saborío of the Christian Social Unit (PUSC) party in a previous election.
A notable aspect of the campaign is the prospective matchup between Feinzaig and his former first vice-presidential candidate from 2022, José Aguilar Berrocal, who is now running for the Progress party.
The relationship between the candidates and the Chaves administration is fractured. Ramos and Amador have publicly positioned themselves as “oppositors of the current administration,” leveling criticism at the leadership that appointed them. Díaz has maintained a cautious distance, offering specific critiques – such as those regarding citizen security – without broadly challenging the executive branch. Fernández, however, is campaigning as a proponent of continuity with ”Chavismo” and has actively participated in government events, including project inaugurations.
Adding to the internal political complexities, the Social Democratic Progress Party (PPSD) – the party that brought Chaves to power – will participate in the election from the opposition. the party’s candidate is Deputy Light Mary Alpízar, whom President Chaves has repeatedly labeled a “Judas” due to her frequent votes against his government’s policies. Alpízar was the sole legislator from the PPSD fraction to vote in favor of lifting Chaves’s immunity to allow for a judicial process regarding alleged concussion. She also faces ongoing criticism from the remaining eight members of her legislative fraction for her dissenting votes.