Laura Fernandez sworn in as the new President of Costa Rica | Election News

Fernandez will take office with his far-right party which has the majority in the country’s parliament.

Laura Fernandez has been sworn in as Costa Rica’s new president and has promised to tackle the growing crime scene in the Central American country, as well as strengthen ties with the United States.

Fernandez won a majority vote on February 1 to replace President Rodrigo Chaves, who has remained an ally of US President Donald Trump.

Invariably, Mr. Chaves is expected to remain in government as the president’s dual minister of finance, ensuring that he has significant influence over incoming governments.

Furthering the goals of having a strong relationship with the US, Fernandez has appointed the vice president, Douglas Soto, as ambassador in Washington.

Kristi Noem, the US special representative leading Trump’s military force in Latin America, known as the “Shield of the Americas”, was at the opening ceremony on Friday.

So was Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as part of the effort increase relationships and the region during the political crisis in Gaza.

The 39-year-old Fernandez has vowed to make major changes to the law and security system in Costa Rica, as well as to fight crime.

Last week, when he announced his new defense minister, Gerald Campos, Fernandez vowed “a war without quarter, a war against crime”.

Costa Rica has long been considered one of the most stable countries in Central America, but crime has increased in recent years as it has become a conduit for drug trafficking in the US.

Costa Rica is building a maximum-security prison modeled after El Salvador’s anti-terrorism facility CECOT, where hundreds of Venezuelans were held without trial after being deported from the US early last year.

Like El Salvador, Costa Rica too he agreed to accept non-citizens deported from the US under an agreement signed in March.

Rights groups have criticized the so-called “third country agreements” for people who have been deported from countries they do not have ties to and may experience violence.

Fernandez’s far-right Sovereign People’s Party (PPSO) won 31 of the 57 seats in the unicameral parliament.

This gives his party enough leverage when he takes office.