A former president running on a platform of attracting foreign investment is on track to win the first round of Costa Rica’s general election, while falling short of the threshold needed to avoid a runoff vote in April.
Jose Maria Figueres claimed victory in a speech to supporters Sunday night, and pledged to turn Costa Rica into a business-friendly country where more citizens speak English. With 88% of votes counted, he had 27% of the total, according to the electoral authority.
“Costa Rica is going to become the winning country we all dreamed of, the winning country we all deserve,” Figueres said during his speech.
