politics
May 8, 2026
Costa Rica's "Third Republic" and Refundational Authoritarianism
Jesús Guzmán-Castillo, May 8, 2026
TL;DR
- Laura Fernández Delgado, president-elect of Costa Rica, has declared the commencement of a "Third Republic," signifying a historical shift from the "Second Republic."
- The "Second Republic" was characterized by strong institutional checks and balances, electoral transparency, and a social contract funded by public investment in health, education, and care.
- Fernández's "Third Republic" narrative reframes institutional oversight as symbolic of the old order and promotes subordination to the executive as democratic renewal.
- This approach is identified as "refundational authoritarianism," which operates through a foundational myth rather than overt rupture, aiming to displace legitimacy from law and oversight to "mandate" and "renewal."
- The strategy aims to make defending existing institutions appear as defending past failures, thereby legitimizing the erosion of accountability.
- Costa Rica's solid institutions make it a crucial case study: if "refundational authoritarianism" can take root there, it raises questions about recognizing and resisting similar patterns elsewhere.