Gay-Marriage Clash Throws Costa Rica Presidential Race Wide Open

  • Evangelical lawmaker leads polls ahead of February 4th vote
  • Government budget deficit and debt have risen to record levels

Carlos Alvarado attends a rally with supporters in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Jan. 28.

Photographer: Ezequiel Becerra/AFP/Getty Images

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Costa Rica’s debt and deficit have risen to the highest on record, and its credit rating has been cut repeatedly in recent years. But, forget all that: It is the prospect of legalizing gay marriage that dominated the debate and threatens to turn the Feb. 4 presidential election on its head.

Many religious Costa Ricans were incensed by a Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling this month in favor of gay marriage, which the government said it would implement. Support for Fabricio Alvarado, an little-known evangelical candidate opposed to the notion, leaped sixfold, propelling him into first place in some polls and spooking investors.