Costa Rica President Fernández disputes poll showing 43% negative economic outlook

President Fernández publicly pushed back against a CIEP-UCR poll indicating 43% of Costa Ricans view the economy negatively, instead highlighting active employment figures and 2026 GDP growth forecasts. The president's framing omits that current employment is below levels from two years ago and that the growth projection is the lowest since the pandemic and second-lowest in Central America. This reflects a political effort to shape economic narrative ahead of potential electoral considerations, with the underlying data suggesting weaker economic conditions than portrayed.