Presidential Election

The people of Costa Rica have elected their first woman president! Former vice president Laura Chinchilla, reportedly a liberal moderate, ran a successful campaign based on a theme that she is firme y honeste. A fierce, capable-looking woman in her 50s, she carried all seven provinces in this country, something that hadn’t happened in any presidential election here since 1925. Her main opponent, the conservative Otton, was left far behind.

As Election Day neared, campaigning became more visible. Signs and bumper stickers appeared everywhere and in San Isidro two vacant storefronts became candidate centers. Supporters for the respective candidates stood out front handing out papers and loudly proclaimed how their candidate deserved to win. Vehicles carrying banners circled the central park; loudspeakers tied on top of the cars encouraged further support.

A few weeks ago we stayed overnight in the city and watched part of an election debate on the TV. Each candidate’s campaign chairman spoke quietly but passionately and it seemed like a friendly, polite discussion. Laura’s spokesman was immaculately dressed and spoke calmly and confidently; Otton’s spokesman wore a rumpled suit, his tie askew, two shirt buttons undone and his hair stood up on one side. He too spoke quietly but also appeared rather desperate.

We didn’t watch the end of the debate as when Pecos stepped outside the room for a second he rushed back in to tell me to come and see a grasshopper on the wall across the courtyard. I’ve seen grasshoppers before and am trying to decipher this debate, I told him, but he insisted I haven’t seen one like this.

Mio Dio! Grasshopper or animal!? This creature, which looked exactly like a grasshopper only several times larger, clung to the wall about 20 feet up and next to a wooden ladder. Its length stretched to nearly fill the space between rungs – at least 10 inches, maybe more, and its body was as thick as the rungs. Its stick-up legs had to be at least six inches from wall to knee. This insect/animal turned its head whenever anyone walked below, clearly pondering whether to devour that person or wait for the next. I wanted to bar the door and barricade the windows but Pecos insisted it couldn’t leap the 50 feet to our room. The next morning I insisted that Pecos lead the way along our balcony and down the steps past the ladder, and to be sure the grasshopper was not trying to hitch a ride on our car. He carried all of our bags so that I could quickly sprint away if needed.

Villagers tell us that the day of elections is very important to the Costa Rican people. Fiercely proud of their government, even the most remotely-located citizens take part in the political process. Election Day is held on a Sunday so that all workers have a chance to vote. Up on our mountain it seems that Laura’s opponents didn’t stand a chance, as all discussion included the quiet mention of Laura and no one else. On the last few days before the election the noisy campaign vehicles could be heard plying these mountain roads.

On the appointed day, a card table for each of the two leading candidates was set up a little distance apart at one end of the village soccer field. Voters picked up their ballots from either table (no secretive voting here) and carried them across the road to the school, where most of the local residents gathered in their Sunday best near the desk where the ballots where counted. Adults stood outside the school visiting with each other for hours as children played in the school yard and chased each other on the soccer field.

The scene was festive; everyone was cheerful and the election seemed to bring everyone together in celebration and national pride. What a difference from the divisive, degrading presidential elections with argumentative candidates, stern-faced reporters and neighbor-versus-neighbor lawn signs so common in the U.S.!

Thinking further, there is one former president who I’d love to have had encounter that grasshopper, close up and face to face. 