Sixteen out of twenty presidential candidates in Costa Rica gathered at the Aula Magna of the University of Costa Rica on Monday night for a debate focused on social security, education, and public safety. This session marked the most diverse participation of political voices since the start of the current electoral campaign.
The debate was structured into three main segments where each candidate answered two questions posed by students, faculty, and administrative staff. There was also a brief period for paired discussions and an opportunity for candidates to question one another with rights to respond.
Three candidates declined to participate: Laura Fernández from Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO), Fabricio Alvarado from Partido Nueva República, and Luis Amador from Partido Integración Nacional. Eliécer Feinzaig of Partido Liberal Progresista (PLP) canceled his attendance at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances.
Moderated by Yanancy Noguera, president of the Colegio de Periodistas de Costa Rica (Colper), the debate did not organize questions by theme; instead, candidates received random queries without repetition. This format made it challenging to directly compare their answers.
On education policy, Claudio Alpízar (Partido Esperanza Nacional), Marco Rodríguez (Partido Esperanza y Libertad), and Luz Mary Alpízar (Partido Progreso Social Democrático) agreed that funding for education should reach 8% of GDP as established by Costa Rica’s Constitution. Luz Mary Alpízar emphasized restoring open dialogue with public universities, describing them as key drivers of social mobility.
Claudia Dobles from Coalición Agenda Ciudad said she would seek a national agreement on education with a budget increase totaling 1.16% over four years to reach this goal. Ariel Robles from Partido Frente Amplio proposed removing educational spending from fiscal constraints to address technology gaps and improve school infrastructure.
During closing remarks, Claudia Dobles criticized the current administration: “Those present have great differences but many areas in common and more than ever, leadership is needed that can build bridges rather than destroy them.” Ana Virginia Calzada (Partido Centro Democrático y Social) echoed dissatisfaction with government actions: “The current administration has violated human rights and fundamental rights.”
Claudio Alpízar referenced previous statements by Calzada when he remarked ironically about not naming those who have harmed the country “because it could fill the room with a smell of sulfur.”
On public safety, Fernando Zamora (Partido Nueva Generación) advocated declaring an emergency to access resources for police forces, increasing security spending by 1% of GDP, and returning drug control police to ports and airports. Walter Hernández (Partido Justicia Social Costarricense) said he would issue an emergency decree to hire technical personnel and redeploy police in conflict zones.
David Hernández (Partido de la Clase Trabajadora), showing support for abortion rights with a green handkerchief, pledged to end banking secrecy laws and target drug traffickers operating at high levels as part of his security strategy.
Questions about healthcare focused on wait times and financial stability at CCSS (Costa Rican Social Security Fund). Juan Carlos Hidalgo (Partido Unidad Social Cristiana) suggested strengthening primary healthcare services and allowing foreign-trained specialists to return home amid a doctor shortage. José Aguilar Berrocal (Partido Avanza) proposed appointing an independent mediator between CCSS and the Ministry of Finance to determine outstanding debts before addressing repayment through increased contributions or use of gold reserves at Crucitas.
A discussion arose regarding migrants’ impact on social security costs after Natalia Díaz (Partido Unidos Podemos) was questioned about her past statements linking migration to administrative challenges at CCSS. Díaz stated her position is that migrants should pay equal fees as citizens for services. She distanced herself from previous remarks allegedly calling migrants “social trash,” saying her comments were misrepresented and referred only to individuals with criminal backgrounds.
Another topic revisited involved retirement age reforms; Ramos clarified he never proposed raising retirement age to 65 years but expressed willingness for dialogue on changes related to mandatory pension schemes.
Finally, Boris Molina (Partido Unión Costarricense Democrática) and Douglas Caamaño (Partido Alianza Costa Rica Primero) jointly criticized recent reports suggesting negotiations between absent candidate Laura Fernández and an evangelical church group: “Faith is not currency” they said, adding that principles “cannot be worked through dark agreements.”
The event concluded with all 16 attending candidates joining university authorities in singing Costa Rica’s patriotic anthem—a moment marking broad participation in this stage of political discourse.
