Latin America and the Caribbean Vision, Values and Determination An Interview with Laura Chinchilla Miranda, Former President of Costa Rica EDITORS’ NOTE Laura Chinchilla What interested you in public after nearly 200 years of Republican life. The Miranda has dedicated her career service and led you to run for impact this event had on Costa Rican girls was to public service and to consulting President of Costa Rica? instrumental in changing perspectives. I was able for international organizations. Costa Rica is one of the oldest to confi rm this when, shortly after I was elected, I She was elected President of the democracies in Latin America and visited several schools and found many girls who Republic of Costa Rica on February one of the three, alongside Chile told me that they too would become, one day, 7, 2010, for a constitutional term and Uruguay, considered by The presidents of the country. My election as president of four years. She is the first Costa Economist as “full democracies.” certainly contributed to empowering a whole Rican woman to serve in this role. One of the reasons behind this is new generation of girls and young women. Her election as President was our strong civic culture that we have How are you focusing your efforts preceded by a successful politi- tried to instill in our children who have today as you are engaged in a number of cal career which began with her the possibility of voting in national organizations and institutions? appointment as Minister of Public Laura Chinchilla Miranda elections. Although their vote does At the end of my presidency and leaving Security, being the first woman to not count to elect presidents or law- behind about 25 years in public service, I decided hold that position, between 1996 and 1998. makers, it symbolizes an important democratic to put my experience at the service of several While in that role, she also served as President exercise. Thanks to this tradition, since I was organizations and people. As a professor at uni- of the National Immigration Board and the a child, I enjoyed the civic life of our country. versities in this hemisphere and as a lecturer, I National Drug Council. Between 2002 and As a student, I was always interested in social have been able to carry out my message about 2006, she was elected member of the National problems and got involved in student govern- the importance of protecting democratic institu- Congress where she chaired the Committee on ments and associations. What most infl uenced tions, promoting sustainable development, pro- Legal Affairs and the Committee on Narcotics. my decision to dedicate myself to public ser- viding early childhood development programs, In 2006, she was elected Vice President of vice in my country was that when I turned and empowering women. I am also a member Costa Rica, assuming office as the Ministry 20, while in college, I decided to travel to our of several global and regional organizations that of Justice at the same time. During her years neighboring countries in Central America to seek to infl uence decision-making in matters of service, she prompted measures on institu- witness firsthand the civil wars that were such as human rights, climate change and mul- tional reform of the Costa Rican government, bleeding the region at that time. What I saw tilateralism. The COVID-19 pandemic has left us on digital government, on the promotion of hurt me deeply and marked me forever. The with much suffering, but also with many lessons. the rights of women, on the protection of chil- brutality, the violence and sadness I witnessed One of them is that precisely because the most dren and on environmental sustainability. could never be forgotten. Hence, I decided serious threats to humanity are of global nature, She has also worked as a consultant in Latin that I would do everything I could to prevent we need global answers to effectively tackle America and Africa with various interna- our country from losing the peace and democ- them. That is why I believe in the need to act tional organizations such as the Agency for racy we enjoyed. Therefore, I decided to get collectively, from all possible trenches. With that International Development (USAID), the involved in politics and public service. in mind, I will continue putting my experience at United Nations Program for Development What are you most proud of accomplish- the service of all these causes. (UNDP) and the Inter-American Development ing during your time leading Costa Rica? How has Latin America, and Costa Rica Bank (IDB) in the area of institutional When Costa Ricans elected me as speci cally, been impacted by the global reform, with particular emphasis on judi- President, there was a security crisis going pandemic and what are the keys to recov- cial and public security reform. She is active on characterized by a growth in criminal ery and growth in the region? on global agenda issues as a part of various violence and the increasing presence of Latin America has been one of the regions forums, such as the Club de Madrid, the Inter- organized crime gangs. Due to my previous of the world most severely impacted by the American Dialogue, and the Latin America experience as Minister of Security, my main pandemic. By the end of last year, and with Presidencial Commission. Most recently, she pledge to Costa Ricans was to make Costa only 8 percent of the world’s population, Latin headed the Organization of American State’s Rica a safe home for all its inhabitants, and America accumulated 27 percent of confi rmed Observation Electoral Mission during the I succeeded. Between 2010 and 2014, we cases and 34 percent of COVID-related deaths 2015 electoral process in México. She is invit- decreased homicide rates by 30 percent and worldwide. According to the IMF, the drop in ing professor at the Government School at the femicide rates by 50 percent. Policies for economic activity reached -7.4 percent in 2020, Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey. She grad- comprehensive early childhood care, envi- one of the highest in emerging economies, with uated from college at the Universidad de ronmental protection – especially our seas, serious consequences for employment and pov- Costa Rica and holds a master’s degree in and women’s empowerment were also very erty. This crisis threatens to reverse important public policy from Georgetown University. important during my administration. achievements in economic and human develop- She holds Honorary Doctorates from the However, beyond these and other specifi c ment and to further deepen preexisting gaps and University for Peace of the United Nations, achievements, I believe my major accomplishment vulnerabilities, such as weak economic growth, Georgetown University and Kyoto University was to break the glass ceilings in politics when high levels of informality, persistent inequality of Foreign Studies. becoming the country’s fi rst woman president and low productivity. 164 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2021 LEADERS MAGAZINE, LLC VOLUME 44, NUMBER 2 “We hope to continue being an exemplary nation in terms of democracy, human development and the decarbonised economy, and to continue contributing to the promotion of global and regional agendas on these issues.” In the case of Costa Rica, health responses Central America are experiencing, as well as You served as the first woman to were better than other countries in the region the political crisis in Nicaragua. We hope to be president of Costa Rica. What do you thanks to the robustness and effectiveness of continue being an exemplary nation in terms tell young girls about a career in public our healthcare system which guarantees uni- of democracy, human development and the service and the opportunities to lead in versal coverage to the entire population. decarbonised economy, and to continue government? Moreover, the fall in economic activity (-4.5 contributing to the promotion of global and Public service gives us the great privilege of percent) was less serious than the regional regional agendas on these issues. being able to serve the people, especially those average. However, we still have a long road Do you feel that Costa Rica is well- who have the greatest needs. In order to respond to overcoming the social impacts of the pan- understood by foreign investors and what in the best possible way to citizen demands and demic and laying the foundations for building do you tell investors about the opportuni- expectations, public servants must have empathy back better. ties that exist in Costa Rica? and sensitivity to the problems of others, and must While the effort ahead of us is immense, Forty years ago, Costa Rica decided to act with integrity and transparency - conditions most both Costa Rica and the other countries in the complement its development strategy by pro- commonly found in female leadership. If we region have the opportunity to drive recovery moting a solid foreign investment and trade want to improve the quality of public service strategies focusing on policies able to trig- attraction platform. Since then, the country and politics, we must bring more women into ger transformative and long-term dynamics. has become one of the most important gate- those areas. I am optimistic that the future will Those policies should be grouped into five ways to the Americas. Thanks to the free be better, thanks to the fact that more women fundamental pillars, namely: strengthening trade agreements that we have signed with belonging to the new generations will assume development and social inclusion networks the most important markets in the world, 92 the leadership of their nations. to protect and reinforce human capital; boost- percent of our exports of goods and services What do you see as the keys to effective ing economic growth by taking advantage of are covered by these agreements, and for- leadership in order to drive change and the transformations in global value chains and eign investment companies grant preferential lasting impact? the geographical relocation of production pro- access to markets representing 65 percent of I don’t think there are natural leaders – lead- cesses; accelerating the massive use of digital the global GDP.