Published on Monday, August 17, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

President Laura Fernández-Delgado has received strong support from Costa Ricans during her first 100 days in office, with 74% of respondents approving of her performance, according to a nationwide poll by OPOL Consultores.

Fernández’s administration began May 8. The survey was conducted nationwide from Aug. 12 to 16 and included 1,200 interviews with Costa Rican adults age 18 and older, according to OPOL Consultores.

The survey was conducted for online news outlet El Mundo CR, a sister company of OPOL Consultores. Both companies belong to the same corporation, Opinión Política CyC, which is registered in Costa Rica.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points and a 95% confidence level, OPOL Consultores said.

Among those surveyed, 74% said they approve of Fernández’s performance as president, while 20% said they disapprove. The remaining respondents did not take a position for or against her performance.


Respondents also rated the government’s performance during its first 100 days on a scale of 1 to 10. More than 23% gave the administration a score of 8. Another 13% gave it the highest possible score of 10, while 11% rated its performance at 9 out of 10.


Overall, 47% of respondents rated the government’s performance at more than 8 out of 10.


The second-largest group of respondents, 20%, gave the government a score of 6 out of 10. Only 18% rated the Fernández administration’s performance below 4 out of 10.

In May, Fernández officially began her 2026-2030 administration by signing three presidential decrees focused on prison sentences, legislative procedures and the appointment of her Cabinet. The measures signaled what she described as a tougher approach to crime and government reform.

Among the most significant recent policies announced by Fernández is a bill that would repeal Law No. 313, known as the “Former Presidents’ Pension Law,” and eliminate lifetime pensions for former presidents. The proposal would eliminate lifetime pension payments for all former presidents, including those who have already left office, as well as Fernández herself as the current president and future presidents of Costa Rica.

During Fernández’s administration, Costa Rica has carried out its first group of extraditions of Costa Rican citizens to face criminal proceedings abroad.  The most recent case occurred last week, when a 63-year-old Costa Rican man identified by the surname Bell-Fernández was extradited to the United States to face drug-trafficking charges. It marked the fourth time Costa Rica has sent one of its citizens abroad to face criminal prosecution.

Another significant development was the announcement of Fernández’s virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a possible meeting and areas of cooperation between the two countries. Fernández assured Zelenskyy that Costa Rica supports Ukraine by voting in favor of resolutions at the U.N. General Assembly and supporting efforts to secure the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. She also said Costa Rica supports holding the Russian Federation accountable for its crimes, including the crime of aggression.

More recently, Fernández announced that inmates who will be housed at Costa Rica’s new maximum-security prison, the Center for High Containment of Organized Crime, or CACCO, will be required to wear bright orange uniforms.    The new prison, currently under construction in Alajuela Province, is modeled after El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT. Once completed, the facility is expected to house more than 5,000 inmates in five buildings.

Fernández also presented Congress with a sweeping package of reforms to Costa Rica’s Criminal Procedure Code and prison system. The proposals call for tougher penalties for criminals, stricter treatment of repeat offenders and new measures aimed at combating organized crime and drug trafficking.

At the beginning of her administration, Fernández announced the creation of a new task-force coalition known as the “Elite Force,” aimed at strengthening Costa Rica’s fight against crime and organized criminal groups.  The coalition will bring together multiple government agencies to address the country’s increasingly complex and interconnected criminal activity.

Security alerts have also been a recurring issue during Fernández’s administration. In June, Fernández was evacuated during a working visit to the Crucitas district in northern Alajuela Province after an alleged explosion was heard near the operations base where she and other government officials were gathered.  

The purpose of the visit was to allow members of Congress to see firsthand the area’s dangerous conditions, environmental degradation, increasing criminal activity, environmental violations and the risks facing local communities as a result of illegal gold mining.

At 36, Fernández is one of the youngest presidents in Costa Rican history and the second woman elected to the country’s highest office, following Laura Chinchilla-Miranda, who served as president from 2010 to 2014.


Before assuming the presidency, Fernández served in the Chaves administration as minister of the presidency and minister of national planning.


A native of Puntarenas, Fernández is married to Jeffrey Umaña-Avendaño. The couple has a 3-year-old daughter, Fernanda.



------------
What do you think will be the biggest challenge facing President Laura Fernández during her administration? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com