Laura Chinchilla is a political scientist with a major in public policy. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the School of Political Science at the University of Costa Rica and a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University.
She served as the President of Costa Rica from 2010 to 2014. Previously, she held the positions of Vice President (2006-2008), Minister of Justice (2006-2008), Minister of Public Security (1996-1998), and member of Congress, where she chaired the Special Commission on Drug Trafficking and Security (2002-2006). Her presidency was marked by the promotion of policies aimed at enhancing citizen security, early childhood development, women’s empowerment, environmental protection, and the advancement of both high-performance and recreational sports.
Currently, she is a member of several prestigious organizations, including the International
Olympic Committee, the Leadership Alliance Club of Madrid, the Inter-American Dialogue, the Atlantic Council, the Concordia Summit, and the Euromerican Foundation. She serves as co-chair of the Advisory Council for the Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program (HDR/UNDP) and as an advisor to regional organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Latin American Development Bank (CAF). Additionally, she is the president of the Club of Madrid and was appointed as the Permanent Observer of the International Olympic Committee to the United Nations.
She has been a visiting professor and fellow at various universities across the Americas, including Georgetown University, Florida International University, Cornell University, the University of São Paulo, and the Monterrey Institute of Technology. A columnist and lecturer, she has authored several publications, particularly on citizen security, democracy, and the rule of law.
She has received numerous distinctions, including honorary doctorates from Georgetown
University (USA), the University of Peace (Costa Rica), Kyoto University of Foreign Studies
(Japan), and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (South Korea).