A Conversation with Carlos Alvarado

After an election that polarized the electorate, Carlos Alvarado took office as the President of Costa Rica on May 8. At 38, Latin America’s youngest president has assembled a cabinet comprised of well-respected figures from diverse political parties with public sector experience. His cabinet is also the first to have a female majority. As another important first, Costa Rican Vice-President Epsy Campbell is the first black woman to hold this position in the Americas.

Amid high expectations, Alvarado, who served as minister of labor and social security in the previous administration and has two master’s degrees, faces serious challenges. These include a divided congress where his Citizen’s Action Party holds very few seats, an urgent need for economic reform to address the country’s fiscal imbalance, an ambitious environmental agenda, challenging trends in security, and an increasingly complex regional and international context.

To discuss these and other issues, the Dialogue is pleased to welcome the President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, for an open exchange on Costa Rica’s future and its role in the region.

Follow this event on Twitter at #DiálogoAlvarado and @The_Dialogue.

Speaker

Carlos Alvarado

President of Costa Rica (@CarlosAlvQ)

Moderator

Michael Shifter

President, Inter-American Dialogue (@MichaelShifter)