Q COSTARICA — Under the leadership of Yara Jiménez as President of the Legislative Assembly, the newly elected legislators begin their duties today, carrying a heavy burden of expectations.
The 2026-2030 Legislature (Costa Rica’s unicameral body, comprising 57 legislators elected by province) will have a pro-government bloc of 31 legislators, the largest in 44 years.
Therefore, it is expected that President-elect Laura Fernández will be able to pass a series of controversial and high-impact projects for Costa Rica.
Gold mining in Crucitas, the sale of the Banco de Costa Rica (BCR), the 4×3 work schedule, and the law harmonizing the electricity sector are among them.
To achieve its goals, the Chavista, the Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO) will appoint its legislators to all positions on the Legislative Assembly today, something that hasn’t happened in 25 years, since the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) placed all its members in the positions during Abel Pacheco’s first year in office.
Also, starting today, Costa Rica will take a huge leap forward in terms of gender and political participation, as the Legislative Assembly with the highest female participation in our country’s history.
The increase from 27 female legislators in the previous term to 30 under the new will propel Costa Rica into the top five countries with the most female members of parliament worldwide.
Currently, Costa Rica ranks eighth, according to United Nations and Inter-Parliamentary Union data. However, with the change in administration, the country will move to fourth place, surpassed only by Rwanda (63.8%), Cuba (57.2%), and Nicaragua (55%). In total, Costa Rica will have 52.6% of its parliamentary seats held by women.
Another noteworthy aspect is that the conservative sector will not disappear from the Legislative Assembly with the departure of Nueva República and Fabricio Alvarado, as at least five legislators from the ruling Pueblo Soberano party will form a kind of conservative bloc within the majority caucus.
These legislators are Robert Jr. Barrantes, Gerardo Bogantes, Kattia Mora, Gonzalo Ramírez, and Daniel Siezar Cárdenas. All of them are pastors, religious leaders, or directly linked to the evangelical alliance.
For example, Mora is an evangelical pastor and community leader; she is also the wife of Juan Luis Calvo Calderón, who was president of the Evangelical Federation of Costa Rica. In her resume, the lawyer states that “her life has been guided by three fundamental pillars: service, justice, and faith in God.”
Meanwhile, Gerardo Bogantes is vice president of the National Front for Life, an organization that seeks to completely prohibit abortion in Costa Rica. Furthermore, he is a co-founder of the Amor 360 Foundation, focused on rescuing children and youth.
Many Lawyers
Regarding professions, the new Legislature stands out for having at least 21 legislators who are lawyers, representing almost half.
In this case, the largest number of legal experts are found in the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) and PPSO caucuses.
There is a TikToker and a communications professional with film studies; in addition to several people without professional degrees.
Finally, the new Legislature will only have three returning legislators: José María Villalta and Edgardo Araya, from the Frente Amplio (FA), and Gonzalo Ramírez, from PPSO. Legislators are elected for four years, with no consecutive re-election permitted.
However, this does not mean there is a lack of legislative experience, since at least nine legislators have served as advisors and will now be legislators: Vianey Mora and María Eugenia Román, from the FA; and Gerardo Bogantes and Nogui Acosta, from PPSO.