Q COSTA RICA — When Laura Fernández took office as Costa Rica’s president on May 8, the air was filled with hope and optimism.
But as the days rolled on, cracks started to show in the early enthusiasm surrounding her leadership. Having just passed the 100 days in office mark, the mood is shifting; President Laura Fernández’s honeymoon with Costa Rican citizens appears to be fading.
Data from the Digital Communication Observatory of the Latin University of Costa Rica (ULatina) highlights that, when analyzing the online conversation, the majority of mentions surrounding the president are negative.
“Laura Fernández began her term with a particularly favorable digital environment compared to that recorded by her predecessor, Rodrigo Chaves, during the equivalent period in 2022. As the months progressed, this initial assessment underwent adjustments in its composition, with a greater presence of critical mentions, in a context where the public agenda also expanded and diversified,” the research indicates.
Critics point to a series of stalled initiatives, bureaucratic delays, and a perceived lack of urgency in addressing urgent issues like rising inflation and public security concerns.
As of August 26, Fernández registered 41.6% positive comments, while negative comments reached 42.8%. The remaining 15.6% were neutral.
The study was conducted between May 1 and August 16, 2026, on social media, news sites, blogs, and other publicly accessible online spaces.
The research conducted by ULatina, with support from Kantar IBOPE Media, analyzed 832,944 mentions on social media platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), news sites, YouTube, and Instagram.
So, is the honeymoon really over for Laura Fernández?
Though it’s too early to declare her presidency a failure, according to ULatina, the evolution of the digital conversation coincided with a shift in the topics that captured digital attention. The first few weeks were primarily marked by the start of the administration, appointments, and initial management decisions; Subsequently, differences between institutions, particularly between the Executive and Judicial branches, as well as other issues specific to the national situation, gained greater prominence.
“From a political-communicational perspective, this behavior reflects the transition from an initial stage of the new government’s establishment to a phase of greater exposure, scrutiny, and thematic diversity. The Executive branch continued to have a significant presence in generating matters of public interest, while the digital conversation progressively incorporated a wider variety of positions and assessments,” the report stated.
The document can be downloaded for free at the following link: https://www.ulatina.ac.cr/area-de-investigacion/grupos-de-investigacion/observatorio/reportes/35
Furthermore, security and the dynamics between public institutions were the main topics of the digital political conversation during the first 100 days of the Fernández administration.
The largest spike in online conversation occurred around Operacion Nemesis, the historic and massive police deployment carried out by the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) – the same agency under attack by Fernández — in July 2026 and the capture of the individuals known as “Diablo” and “Tan,” exceeding 40,000 mentions.
Two other events approached or surpassed 30,000 mentions: the incident involving an explosive device during the presidential tour of Crucitas and Minister Rodrigo Chaves’s statements expressing fears of a dictatorship.
According to the analysis, after each of these events, the volume of conversation quickly returned to lower levels.
Despite Fernández’s situation, the study indicates that the President has the most favorable balance, with approximately 1.4 positive comments for every negative one. In contrast, the President of the Legislative Assembly, Yara Jiménez, registered nearly 2 negative comments for every positive one, while the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, Orlando Aguirre, had a ratio of approximately 6.5 negative comments for every positive one.
The coming months will test President Fernández’s ability to navigate political headwinds, rally support, and prove that the promise she made to Costa Rica was more than just campaign rhetoric.