Costa Ricans elected their first woman president Sunday as Central America’s most politically and economically stable country chose the former Vice President, Laura Chinchilla.  She won with 47% of the vote therefore avoiding a run-off.

Pre-election polls gave a nearly 20-point lead to Laura Chinchilla, who served as vice president under current President Oscar Arias, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and free-market enthusiast.

“Today we are making history,” said Chinchilla, who will be the fifth Latin American woman to serve as president when she takes office in May. “The Costa Rican people have given me their confidence, and I will not betray it.”

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