Laura Fernández, now president, signed pact with evangelical political group committing to 'natural family' and ministerial appointments.

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Laura Fernández, now president, signed pact with evangelical political group committing to 'natural family' and ministerial appointments.

2025 October 23

Laura Fernández, then presidential candidate for the chavista party Pueblo Soberano (PPSO) and now president of Costa Rica since May 8, 2026, signed a nine-page letter of commitments with evangelical pastors of the group "Foro Mi País" at the Hilton hotel in San José. The seven written commitments include a pledge to "venerate life from conception to natural death, without concessions" and to protect "the natural family" as the irreplaceable nucleus of society — the same anti-gender ideology language used in the region to justify rolling back trans, nonbinary, and reproductive rights.

Reporting in January 2026 by Infobae and La Nación revealed that Fernández also pledged 24 deputy candidacies to figures linked to the evangelical movement, openness for the group to propose names for the Ombudsman's office (Defensoría de los Habitantes), the Judicial branch, and embassies, and "special attention" in the designation of the Education and Health ministers — the two ministries that most directly determine trans rights in Costa Rica, including anti-bullying protocols in schools and access to gender-affirming care through the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (CCSS). A separate commitment promotes a "special law for religious organizations" and protections for public officials' "conscience objection" to acts contrary to religious convictions — a clause that, if implemented, could let healthcare workers refuse gender-affirming care.

The Federación Alianza Evangélica Costarricense (FAEC) publicly distanced itself from "Foro Mi País" and rejected any political pact, but several pastors and members of evangelical political parties have been linked to the negotiations. Fernández was inaugurated on May 8, 2026, with 31 of 57 seats in the Legislative Assembly, signaling a strong governing majority for the religious-conservative agenda.

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