Tico leaders from across the political spectrum cheered Barack Obama’s victory yesterday as he became the first black elected president of the United States .
Winning large majorities of Latino voters, the Democrat captured 349 electoral votes, compared to 162 for Republican candidate John McCain, as of this morning.
“This was one of the most emotional events of my political life,” said Epsy Campbell, president of the left-leaning Citizen Action Party (PAC), whose ancestors migrated from southern Africa to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. “I thought about all our black ancestors who fought for the rights of our people. Barack Obama embodies (that) fight.”
Health Minister María Luisa Avila, from the governing National Liberation Party (PLN), watched returns from Brazil, where she is attending a conference on dengue.
“It means progress in the area of human rights … overall in the (fight) against racism,” she said.
Ana Helena Chacón, a lawmaker for the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), was rooting for Obama, even though her party has historically aligned itself with the Republicans.
“I hope relations with Latin America improve,” she said. “There have been few efforts at cooperation, except in the field of security.”
The five PUSC lawmakers plan to discuss the implications of an Obama presidency today, Chacón said.
The Foreign Ministry released a statement this morning congratulating Obama and celebrating his status as the nation’s first African-American president.
Even Otto Guevara, leader of the Libertarian Movement (ML) party and a McCain supporter, saw a silver lining.
“McCain’s speech was extraordinary,” he said. “He put himself at the service of the new president and (promised) to work together for the good of the United States.”
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