Saturday is Laura Chinchilla’s day to become the first female president of Costa Rica. Inauguration day is always one of hope and expectation for expats and locals alike
Ms. Chinchilla has four years after 10 a.m.
Saturday to show that she is not a puppet of hidden political forces, as opponents alleged in the campaign.
For 脫scar Arias S谩nchez, the day will be bittersweet. He has said he hoped that a woman would be elected president. Deep down he has to be sad that Costa Rican presidents cannot run for a second consecutive term. The step from a man of power to a private citizen is a steep one.
To some extent, Ms. Chinchilla is not the kind of woman president some feminists wanted. She opposes abortion and is a devoted Catholic. She will not be on the vanguard of progressive measure for females. But she has promised to crack down on casinos.
The weather should be partly cloudy for the inauguration in Parque la Sabana. Most of the 20,000 spectators will have seats outdoors. Winds from the Caribbean are expected to keep rains at bay until at least mid-afternoon.
Costa Ricans will get a first taste of the Chinchilla presidency in the early afternoon when the new chief executive meets with her cabinet. She is expected to issue some unspecified decrees.
Still up in the air is who will represent the United States at the inauguration. Such events usually require an individual at a higher level than the country’s ambassador. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, have been here before, but there has not been a word from the security conscious White House.
Security officials might be nervous at threats by leftists to demonstrate Saturday by marching from downtown San Jos茅 to la Sabana.
Most other interest groups, environmentalists, contract transportation drivers and others, have said they will not demonstrate out of respect for the civic democracy.
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