Costa Rica's First Woman President Fights Invasions, Drug Cartels

Last year, Costa Rica elected its first female president, Laura Chinchilla, 52, adding another leader to the growing ranks of female heads of state in Latin America, including Brazil President Dilma Rousseff, Argentina President Cristina Fernandez and former Chile President Michelle Bachelet. In August, FORBES named her the No. 86 most powerful woman in the world.

Chinchilla, who served as vice president in the Oscar Arias administration, has faced outsized challenges in her first year: a cabinet reshuffling, growing budget deficit, border war with neighbor Nicaragua, increased threat of drug trafficking and sinking approval rates.  Continue

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