Costa Rica News – The reign of Laura Chinchilla is coming to a close in Costa Rica as we prepare for the 2014 elections for the presidential seat. There are not very many candidates at this point. To be elected president of Costa Rica a candidate needs at least 40 percent of total voters, otherwise a runoff must be held between the top two candidates.
Most Costa Ricans are very apathetic towards the current candidates. San José Mayor Johnny Araya from the ruling National Liberation Party has 27 percent support of potential voters, while Epsy Campbell from the Citizen Action Party has 4 percent and Otto Guevara from the Libertarian Movement has 3 percent.
Will the Costa Rican population be able to look past skin color and elect the candidate that may be able to actually bring about change? Or will another one of Arias’ hand puppets be put into office?
Have you heard of Epsy Campbell Barr?
She is already a known politician as well as economist. She is a founder of the Citizens’ Action Party, also known as PAC.
Let’s learn a little about her family. She was given her paternal grandfathers name. Her family is of Jamaican origin and she was born in Costa Rica in 1963. She has 4 sisters, 2 brothers, and 2 daughters- named Narda and Tanisha.
Some of Epsy Campbell’s hobbies include playing flute and saxophone. She studied at the University of Costa Rica before moving to the Limon province. She proved to be a hard worker continuing education and working at the same time. Her degree is as an economist from the Latin University of Costa Rica in ’98. She also has a master’s degree in Development Cooperation.
She has been involved in social activism and politics since then. She researched the human rights of women as well as people of African descent. She has been the head of the Center for Women of African Descent, traveling to conferences around the world to be an activist for their rights. Some of her other accomplishments include being President of the Partido Accion Ciudadana, National MP for the PAC before that, and a vice-president candidate in the 2006 election. She has written books about equality, political participation of women, democracy, inclusion, and more.
For the 2013 election Campbell decided to travel in an RV around the country with her message of anti-corruption and accountability to the PAC voters. As of this February she was the top opposition candidate.
Costa Rica needs change and leadership……is she the woman for the job?
1 comment
Costa has needed PAC for a long time. Espy would redeem the idea of a female president (which Laura has tarnished mightily). Plus she is sharp and full of good progressive ideas. Neoliberalism needs to go far, far, away.