The LatinNews Podcast is a fortnightly deep dive into key developments from across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Real insights from the region’s sharpest minds.
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Season 1 | Episode 68
Costa Rica has long been the envy of its neighbours in Central America, enjoying economic stability and growth, dependency and security. As we approach the first round of Presidential elections on 1 February 2026, citizens now face the key question of whether they cast their vote for continuity or change?
On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we sit down with Ronald Alfaro Redondo, Professor of Political Science at the University of Costa Rica and researcher at the State of the Nation program, to discuss the upcoming elections and the legacy of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves.
We talk about the strength of Costa Rica's democracy, the homicide crisis affecting the country, security, the state of the traditional political parties, foreign policy and relations with the United States and the environment.
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In this episode we discuss:
• Fragmentation of Costa Rica’s party system
• Continuity politics under President Rodrigo Chaves
• Security, organised crime and rising violence
• Economic pressures and environmental tensions
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Professor Ronald Alfaro-Redondo
Ronald Alfaro-Redondo is a Costa Rican political scientist and professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Costa Rica. He is a researcher with the Programa Estado de la Nación and coordinates studies on public opinion and electoral behaviour. Alfaro-Redondo holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences from Columbia University, and his work focuses on elections, political parties, participation and democratic dynamics in Costa Rica and the region.
The LatinNews Podcast is hosted by Richard McColl, a foreign correspondent in Colombia. Having first travelled to Colombia in the late 90s, McColl made the move to Bogotá in 2007. He holds a Diploma in Conflict resolution and a PhD in Social and Human Sciences both at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. He has worked as a journalist across Latin America.
Political Analyst, Richard McColl