Political Parties

Costa Rica’s current leading political parties are:

  • National Liberation Party (Costa Rica) (Partido Liberación Nacional—PLN) Founded in 1951 at the end of the civil war. social democratic
  • Citizen’s Action Party (Partido Acción Ciudadana — PAC) Founded 2000 by former PLN member; strong showings in 2002 and 2006 elections (30% of Assembly in 2006) Reformist, largely but not exclusively left and center left
  • Libertarian Movement Party (Partido Movimiento Libertario — PML). Founded 1994; won 6 Congressional seats (10% of the Assembly) in 2002 and again in 2006 Libertarian
  • Social Christian Unity Party (Partido Unidad Social Cristiana—PUSC). Currently less popular than its past, after revelations of corruption, 3 seats in the Assembly Christian democratic

Minor parties with 1 seat in the Assembly:

  • Access without Exclusion (Partido Accessibilidad Sin Exclusión—PASE) Fights for disabled people
  • Broad Front (Partido Frente Amplio — FA) Left
  • National Union Party (Partido Unión Nacional — PUN) Center right
  • National Rescue Party (Partido Rescate Nacional)

Minor parties without congressional representation as of 2009:

  • Costa Rican Renovation Party (Partido Renovación Costariccense)
  • Union for Change Party (Partido Unión para el Cambio)
  • National Restoration Party (Partido Restauración Nacional — PRN) Christian
  • Homeland First Party (Partido Patria Primero)

Several smaller new parties that participated for the first time in the 2006 elections include Partido Unión Patriótica and Partido Alianza Democrática Nacionalista.