Laura Fernández Delgado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laura Fernández Delgado
Fernández in 2017
President-elect of Costa Rica
Assuming office 8 May 2026
Vice President	Francisco Gamboa (elect) Douglas Soto (elect)
Succeeding	Rodrigo Chaves Robles
Minister of the Presidency of Costa Rica
In office 22 June 2024 – 31 January 2025
President	Rodrigo Chaves Robles
Preceded by	Natalia Díaz Quintana [es]
Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy of Costa Rica
In office 8 May 2022 – 8 January 2025
President	Rodrigo Chaves Robles
Preceded by	Pilar Garrido Gonzalo
Succeeded by	Marta Esquivel Rodríguez [es]
Personal details
Born	Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado (1986-07-04) 4 July 1986 (age 39) Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Political party	PPSO (since 2025)
Other political affiliations	Christian Democratic Alliance (2018–2025)
Alma mater	University of Costa Rica
Occupation	Political scientist, politician

Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado, born on July 4, 1986, is a politician from Costa Rica. She is also a political scientist, which means she studies how governments and political systems work. She is currently the president-elect of Costa Rica. This means she won the 2026 general election and will soon become the country's leader. Before this, she worked as a minister in two important government roles from 2022 to 2025.

Laura Fernández's Early Life

Laura Fernández was born in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, on July 4, 1986. She went to the University of Costa Rica. There, she studied public politics and how democratic governments should work. This education helped her understand how to serve her country.

Laura Fernández's Journey in Politics

Laura began her career helping the government. From 2008 to 2010, she worked as a consultant for a program that aimed to improve how the government worked. This was part of the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GIZ). She then became a civil servant within the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy in 2010. For four years, until 2014, she advised on making government processes more modern and efficient.

From 2014 to 2018, Laura advised the Legislative Assembly. This is like Costa Rica's parliament, where laws are made. She helped with topics like how the government spends money and makes reforms. In the 2018 presidential election, she was a candidate for vice president alongside Mario Redondo.

In 2018, Laura returned to the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy as a researcher. She studied how the government could work better and cooperate with others. For a short time, from 2020 to 2021, she was a director for the city of Cartago, planning for its future. She then went back to her research role.

On May 8, 2022, President Rodrigo Chaves Robles chose Laura to be the Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy. Later, on June 21, 2024, President Chaves also made her the Minister of the Presidency. This is a very important role, helping to manage the president's office. On July 11, 2024, she signed an important document. This document made July 30 a special day to remember when women in Costa Rica gained the right to vote. On January 31, 2025, Laura left her minister jobs. She did this so she could run for president in the 2026 election.

Becoming President-Elect

On July 29, 2025, Laura Fernández officially announced she was running for president. She joined the Sovereign People's Party (PPSO). She wanted to continue the work of the previous president, Rodrigo Chaves Robles. President Chaves could not run again because of term limits. Laura was one of 20 people who wanted to be president. She was also one of five women running for the top job. She won the election, receiving 48.3% of the votes.

Laura Fernández will become president on May 8, 2026. She will be the second woman to hold this high office in Costa Rica. The first was Laura Chinchilla. Laura Fernández has promised to make Costa Rica's friendships with other countries stronger, including with Israel.

See also

In Spanish: Laura Fernández Delgado para niños

• List of female presidents in Latin America