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| El Salvador and Costa Rica Hold Presidential Elections | El Salvador and Costa Rica Hold Presidential Elections |
| (7 months later) | |
| MEXICO CITY — Two Central American countries, El Salvador and Costa Rica, put incumbent parties to the test on Sunday in what were expected to be closely fought presidential elections that focused less on ideology than on unease over unemployment, corruption and crime. | |
| In both countries, left-leaning candidates either led or surged in late polls, but analysts saw the campaigns more as referendums on the status quo. The front-runners were seeking pluralities large enough to avoid runoffs in the spring. | In both countries, left-leaning candidates either led or surged in late polls, but analysts saw the campaigns more as referendums on the status quo. The front-runners were seeking pluralities large enough to avoid runoffs in the spring. |
| In El Salvador, the left-leaning Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, known as the F.M.L.N., sought to hold on to the presidency, which it won for the first time in 2009. Conservative candidates had won a string of victories after peace accords in 1992 ended one of the bloodiest civil wars in the Americas. | In El Salvador, the left-leaning Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, known as the F.M.L.N., sought to hold on to the presidency, which it won for the first time in 2009. Conservative candidates had won a string of victories after peace accords in 1992 ended one of the bloodiest civil wars in the Americas. |
| The F.M.L.N. candidate, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, a former guerrilla commander, is the vice president and has promised to expand welfare programs and benefits put in place by President Mauricio Funes, who sought a more moderate stance for the party and could not run again because of term limits. | The F.M.L.N. candidate, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, a former guerrilla commander, is the vice president and has promised to expand welfare programs and benefits put in place by President Mauricio Funes, who sought a more moderate stance for the party and could not run again because of term limits. |
| Mr. Sánchez, whom some conservative politicians in the United States view with alarm because of his guerrilla background, has also promised to rise above partisanship and work with political opponents. Early results showed him nearly 10 percentage points ahead of his nearest competitor, but below the threshold to avoid a runoff. | Mr. Sánchez, whom some conservative politicians in the United States view with alarm because of his guerrilla background, has also promised to rise above partisanship and work with political opponents. Early results showed him nearly 10 percentage points ahead of his nearest competitor, but below the threshold to avoid a runoff. |
| Conservatives in El Salvador “no longer say Venezuela or Cuba are going to rule El Salvador, like they said five years ago,” said José Maria Tojeira, a former rector at the Universidad Centroamericana who closely follows Salvadoran politics. “The fear of ideological extremism has ended.” | Conservatives in El Salvador “no longer say Venezuela or Cuba are going to rule El Salvador, like they said five years ago,” said José Maria Tojeira, a former rector at the Universidad Centroamericana who closely follows Salvadoran politics. “The fear of ideological extremism has ended.” |
| Mr. Sánchez faced a strong challenge from Norman Quijano, a former mayor of San Salvador and the candidate of the right-leaning Nationalist Republican Alliance, or Arena, who was in second place in the early results. | Mr. Sánchez faced a strong challenge from Norman Quijano, a former mayor of San Salvador and the candidate of the right-leaning Nationalist Republican Alliance, or Arena, who was in second place in the early results. |
| Mr. Quijano has been critical of a fragile truce brokered between leaders of two gangs in 2012 with the help of a security minister under Mr. Funes, and has promised to send the army after gangs. The truce has been credited for a substantial drop in the homicide rate, but extortion and other crimes have continued. More frequent disappearances and the discovery in December of a grave with 24 bodies have led skeptics to wonder if the gangs are simply hiding their victims. | Mr. Quijano has been critical of a fragile truce brokered between leaders of two gangs in 2012 with the help of a security minister under Mr. Funes, and has promised to send the army after gangs. The truce has been credited for a substantial drop in the homicide rate, but extortion and other crimes have continued. More frequent disappearances and the discovery in December of a grave with 24 bodies have led skeptics to wonder if the gangs are simply hiding their victims. |
| But Arena has been hurt by a corruption investigation of former President Francisco Flores, who was Mr. Quijano’s campaign chief until Thursday. And on the eve of the election, Mr. Funes announced that another top Quijano adviser was wanted by Interpol in a sex-crime investigation in Panama. Those controversies could help a distant-third candidate, Antonio Saca, who was president from 2004 to 2009. | But Arena has been hurt by a corruption investigation of former President Francisco Flores, who was Mr. Quijano’s campaign chief until Thursday. And on the eve of the election, Mr. Funes announced that another top Quijano adviser was wanted by Interpol in a sex-crime investigation in Panama. Those controversies could help a distant-third candidate, Antonio Saca, who was president from 2004 to 2009. |
| “The most important thing for the Salvadoran people right now is security,” said Luis Gonzalez, 58, a federal worker who said he had voted for Mr. Saca. “People are dying indiscriminately from such a big wave of violence.” | “The most important thing for the Salvadoran people right now is security,” said Luis Gonzalez, 58, a federal worker who said he had voted for Mr. Saca. “People are dying indiscriminately from such a big wave of violence.” |
| In Costa Rica, Johnny Araya — a former mayor of San Jose, the capital, and the candidate of the incumbent, centrist National Liberation Party — fought a surge in polls by José María Villalta, a young left-leaning lawmaker who capitalized on voters’ anger about unemployment, crime and corruption scandals that have put President Laura Chinchilla’s approval ratings among the lowest in Latin America. | In Costa Rica, Johnny Araya — a former mayor of San Jose, the capital, and the candidate of the incumbent, centrist National Liberation Party — fought a surge in polls by José María Villalta, a young left-leaning lawmaker who capitalized on voters’ anger about unemployment, crime and corruption scandals that have put President Laura Chinchilla’s approval ratings among the lowest in Latin America. |
| But in early results, Mr. Araya was neck and neck with another centrist, Luis Guillermo Solís of the Citizens’ Action Party, a political newcomer who served in National Liberation governments and campaigned largely on fighting corruption and shoring up the government social security system. | But in early results, Mr. Araya was neck and neck with another centrist, Luis Guillermo Solís of the Citizens’ Action Party, a political newcomer who served in National Liberation governments and campaigned largely on fighting corruption and shoring up the government social security system. |
| Mr. Araya and Mr. Solís each had about 30 percent of the vote. Mr. Villalta, of the Broad Front party, trailed with 17 percent. | Mr. Araya and Mr. Solís each had about 30 percent of the vote. Mr. Villalta, of the Broad Front party, trailed with 17 percent. |
| Thirteen candidates were running, with four top contenders: Mr. Araya, Mr. Solís, Mr. Villalta and another left-leaning candidate, Otto Guevara of the Libertarian Movement Party. The wide field was a sign of the fragmentation of parties and ideologies in Costa Rica, said Kevin Casas-Zamora, a former vice president who is now political secretary at the Organization of American States. Even in the final hours, many voters were undecided. | Thirteen candidates were running, with four top contenders: Mr. Araya, Mr. Solís, Mr. Villalta and another left-leaning candidate, Otto Guevara of the Libertarian Movement Party. The wide field was a sign of the fragmentation of parties and ideologies in Costa Rica, said Kevin Casas-Zamora, a former vice president who is now political secretary at the Organization of American States. Even in the final hours, many voters were undecided. |
| “Party loyalty has all but dissolved,” Mr. Casas-Zamora said. “The feeling is there is a desire to reject the status quo, less of a commitment to ideology.” | “Party loyalty has all but dissolved,” Mr. Casas-Zamora said. “The feeling is there is a desire to reject the status quo, less of a commitment to ideology.” |
| Mr. Villalta had appeared to gain strength in the past several months, rising from a dark horse to a top contender, with promises to tackle inequality in a nation where the economy is growing but many people remain unemployed or underemployed. | Mr. Villalta had appeared to gain strength in the past several months, rising from a dark horse to a top contender, with promises to tackle inequality in a nation where the economy is growing but many people remain unemployed or underemployed. |
| Although Costa Rica is not nearly as violent as Central American nations where drug gangs contest trafficking routes, it is increasingly becoming a transit point, drug crimes are more frequent than they used to be, and high-profile crimes like the murder of a well-known sea turtle conservationist, Jairo Mora, have shocked the country. | Although Costa Rica is not nearly as violent as Central American nations where drug gangs contest trafficking routes, it is increasingly becoming a transit point, drug crimes are more frequent than they used to be, and high-profile crimes like the murder of a well-known sea turtle conservationist, Jairo Mora, have shocked the country. |
| In an environmentally conscious nation, Mr. Villalta made Mr. Mora’s death a campaign issue. But his opponents sought to tarnish him by pointing out his party’s roots in communist ideology, and Mr. Casas-Zamora and other analysts suggested that Mr. Solís might appeal to voters dissatisfied with the government but not ready to turn to the left. | In an environmentally conscious nation, Mr. Villalta made Mr. Mora’s death a campaign issue. But his opponents sought to tarnish him by pointing out his party’s roots in communist ideology, and Mr. Casas-Zamora and other analysts suggested that Mr. Solís might appeal to voters dissatisfied with the government but not ready to turn to the left. |
| Mr. Araya tried to distance himself from the Chinchilla administration and said he would be best suited to tackling the public debt, including, if necessary, by imposing new taxes. | Mr. Araya tried to distance himself from the Chinchilla administration and said he would be best suited to tackling the public debt, including, if necessary, by imposing new taxes. |
| No matter who wins, the political splintering will make it hard to get laws through a legislature where no party has a majority, said Bruce Wilson, a professor at the University of Central Florida who studies Costa Rican politics. | No matter who wins, the political splintering will make it hard to get laws through a legislature where no party has a majority, said Bruce Wilson, a professor at the University of Central Florida who studies Costa Rican politics. |
| “That is an even bigger mess,” he said. “There doesn’t seem to be a mass mandate, from the polling data. If Congress is so fractious, to get your agenda through will be very difficult.” | “That is an even bigger mess,” he said. “There doesn’t seem to be a mass mandate, from the polling data. If Congress is so fractious, to get your agenda through will be very difficult.” |