Chaves won Sunday’s elections for the presidency having obtained 52.86 percent of the valid votes cast.

His opponent, former president Jose Maria Figueres, of the National Liberation Party, got 47.14 percent, while abstentionism reported a higher figure than on the first electoral round on February 6th, while null and blank votes were just over 49,000.

In his victory speech, Chaves stated that “I receive with the deepest humility this sacred decision of the Costa Rican people, for me it is not a moment to celebrate, this result is not a medal nor a trophy, but rather an enormous responsibility with many difficulties that together we will solve”.

“Costa Rica has voted and the people have spoken,” he pointed out and expressed his recognition to Figueres and all those who voted for him. “I congratulate him and ask him to work together to make possible what he himself called the Costa Rican miracle,” Chaves said.

He advocated discussing and finding solutions together with the help from all, united and hand in hand.

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