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Costa Rica Set for Lopsided Victory Costa Rica Set for Lopsided Victory
(5 months later)
MEXICO CITY — With his opponent in the race for president of Costa Rica on the sidelines, a history professor seemed poised to win a lopsided victory on Sunday. MEXICO CITY — With his opponent in the race for president of Costa Rica on the sidelines, a history professor seemed poised to win a lopsided victory on Sunday.
The likely election of the professor, Luis Guillermo Solís, signals a turn in Costa Rican politics away from the dominant National Liberation Party, or PLN, which has seen its support wither under a series of corruption scandals. After a first-round vote in February gave Mr. Solís, 55, a surprise victory, his PLN opponent, Johnny Araya, continued to lose ground in opinion polls.The likely election of the professor, Luis Guillermo Solís, signals a turn in Costa Rican politics away from the dominant National Liberation Party, or PLN, which has seen its support wither under a series of corruption scandals. After a first-round vote in February gave Mr. Solís, 55, a surprise victory, his PLN opponent, Johnny Araya, continued to lose ground in opinion polls.
Although Mr. Araya, a former mayor of San José, the capital, announced last month that he would stop campaigning, his name remained on the ballot and the election went ahead as scheduled for Costa Rica’s 3.1 million voters.Although Mr. Araya, a former mayor of San José, the capital, announced last month that he would stop campaigning, his name remained on the ballot and the election went ahead as scheduled for Costa Rica’s 3.1 million voters.
Mr. Solís, of the center-left Citizen Action Party, is a former diplomat who left the PLN in 2005. Despite the one-sided race, he has said that he hoped to win one million votes, and a strong mandate.Mr. Solís, of the center-left Citizen Action Party, is a former diplomat who left the PLN in 2005. Despite the one-sided race, he has said that he hoped to win one million votes, and a strong mandate.
Costa Rica, long a star in Latin America for its stable democracy and social safety net, has lost some of its shine in recent years amid rising crime and growing inequality.Costa Rica, long a star in Latin America for its stable democracy and social safety net, has lost some of its shine in recent years amid rising crime and growing inequality.
One of the new president’s most important challenges will be to “recover people’s confidence in the Costa Rican state,” Luis Mesalles, an analyst, wrote in La Nación on Saturday.One of the new president’s most important challenges will be to “recover people’s confidence in the Costa Rican state,” Luis Mesalles, an analyst, wrote in La Nación on Saturday.