First Female President of Costa Rica Inaugurated
Laura Chinchilla was inaugurated as president of Costa Rica last week, the first female president for the country and the fifth female president in Latin America.
Chinchilla takes over from Nobel Prize winner Oscar Arias, whom she served as vice president during his term in office. As his acknowledged protégé, she vowed to carry on with policies instituted by Arias that increased foreign trade, including opening the country to trade with China and instituting a trade pact with the U.S. These policies helped sustain the Costa Rican economy through the recent global recession.
Chinchilla is also expected to continue the Arias policies that have made Costa Rica the most visited country in Central America, with an environmental goal of making Costa Rica the first carbon-neutral country in the world by 2021. These economic and environmental policies have contributed to the building of a $2.2-billion tourism industry in the country.
Increasing numbers of foreigners are also finding Costa Rica an environmentally friendly and affordable place to live full- or part-time, and new highway and airport projects in the country’s Southern Zone are opening formerly inaccessible parts of Costa Rica to residential development.
These recent infrastructure developments are part of the reason that International Living is holding its Live and Invest in Costa Rica Seminar in San Jose, this August.
“We’re bullish on much of Latin America as a retirement and investment destination,” said Jackie Flynn, publisher of International Living. “And Costa Rica just makes sense in so many ways right now.”
“It’s the most politically stable country in Latin America,” said Flynn, “with a long history of peace and prosperity. It has a thriving economy, great weather, beautiful beaches, and world-class, affordable health care. Add in some incredible bargains in real estate in areas that have just opened up thanks to advancing infrastructure, and the appeal of Costa Rica is stronger than ever.”
Flynn said that attendees at the International Living Live and Invest in Costa Rica Seminar will learn first hand from experts, including people who are currently living and working in Costa Rica. Topics will include the latest hot spots for real estate, how to lower cost of living without lowering standard of living, how to start up a business in Costa Rica, how to qualify for Costa Rica residency, where to bank, how to buy insurance, and how to finance a Costa Rican property purchase with an IRA.
This year’s seminar will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Costa Rica’s bustling capitol, San Jose. For more information, see: www.internationalliving.com/events.
