Who is Rodrigo Chaves, the candidate of the Social Democratic Progress party for the presidency of Costa Rica?

Rodrigo Chaves, the former Costa Rican minister who now wants to govern 3:28

(CNN Spanish) --

Costa Ricans return to the polls this Sunday, April 3, to decide the winner of the second presidential round between former Minister of Finance Rodrigo Chaves or former President José María Figueres.

The new president will rule from May 8 until 2026.

Find out who Rodrigo Chaves is, the candidate who obtained a lower percentage of votes than Figueres in the first round, according to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Costa Rica.

• Who is José María Figueres, the former president who is contesting the second round of the Costa Rican elections?

Rodrigo Chaves Robles stood for these elections as leader of the conservative Social Democratic Progress party, after no agreements were reached with other political groups.

He assured that his goal is to seek a "strong and united" government, after knowing the electoral results in the first round.

He is 60 years old, has a doctorate in Applied Economics, Markets and Institutions from the University of Ohio, United States.

Also, she worked for more than 30 years at the World Bank.

His career in the latter organization ended in 2019, when he returned to Costa Rica after being director of the office in Indonesia.

• Costa Rica reaches the second presidential round of 2022: the candidates fight against abstentionism

He is a specialist in Public Policies and has provided advice to the government and civil society in more than 40 countries, according to his resume.

He served as Minister of Finance in the current government of Carlos Alvarado, a position he assumed in November 2019 and left six months later.

advertising

Rodrigo Chaves (left) of the Social Democratic Progress party and José María Figueres of the National Liberation Party participate in a debate in San José, on March 29, 2022. Credit: EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP via Getty Images

Chaves has said in his campaign speech that he seeks a government of "public policies for the majority and not for small groups of power."

He has promised to punish corruption more firmly and a law to protect people who report crimes in public office.

For the political scientist Ronald Alfaro, coordinator of the surveys of the Center for Research and Political Studies of the University of Costa Rica (CIEP/UCR), Chaves' speech implies a break with the past "because he considers that it has been distorted."

Costa Rica is the happiest country in Latin America 0:55

What does Chávez propose?

These are some proposals of the conservative candidate disclosed in an interview with the Supreme Court of Elections of Costa Rica (TSE).

Economy:

Chaves wants to boost youth employment ––people entering the formal market for the first time–– by offering incentives to employers.

He has said that he intends, through decrees, to reduce the cost of goods and services such as electricity, medicine and rice.

In his position of breaking with the past, he has criticized the luxury pensions of the judiciary, the rice businessmen and those who import medicines, according to an interview with the TSE.

He assures that he would not put more taxes, but that his intention is "to collect the taxes that are already legislated and that are legal."

Pension:

“We are going to promote the provision of a universal minimum pension to the entire population of the largest country,” he told the TSE, specifying that this will come out of the budget of the Republic.

Environment:

commits to fulfill the commitments of COP26.

Also, an eventual government of yours would gradually change the country's vehicle fleet to, in short, burn less hydrocarbons.

Education:

its intention is to offer "specialized tutorials" to the student population with problems and lags generated as a result of the pandemic and poor connectivity.

Also to make better use of utility management.

Corruption:

"We are going to pass a law that says that whoever knew or knows of acts of corruption, even if they are not part of them and do not report them, committed a criminal crime," he explained to the TSE.

He added that, as a counterpart, a reward is contemplated for those who denounce and prevent the State from being robbed.

Rodrigo Chavez.

(Credit: EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP via Getty Images)

Penalty for sexual misconduct

After passing through the ministry, and already as a presidential candidate, in August 2021 it came to light in local media that Chaves was sanctioned for sexual misconduct against women who worked at the World Bank.

The information was also published by

That newspaper says in its article of October 18, 2021, that “the World Bank Administrative Court determined that the bank's senior management, under the presidency of David Malpass and his two predecessors, did not adequately sanction Rodrigo Chaves.

He was demoted, but not fired, despite a documented pattern of harassment, which lasted at least four years and involved six women, according to documents related to the case, which were reviewed by

."

According to that media outlet, Chaves denied having sexually harassed his companions and argued that the complaints probably originated from "cultural differences and behaviors that would not be offensive to other people."

The presidential candidate, in a tweet published on October 18, 2021, pointed out that “behind all this there are small, but powerful groups that are afraid of the growth we have had in recent weeks and are afraid that Rodrigo Chaves will come to power. , to put in order the chaos in which this country is plunged”.

At a press conference a day later, Chaves pointed out that the former workers never expressed their discomfort with the treatment they received from him.

"This case that has been re-judged, investigated and clarified continues to be used against me," said the candidate.

Djenane Villanueva contributed to this article. 

Elections