The image of a presidential candidate dutifully accompanied by his or her spouse has virtually disappeared in Costa Rica. Prior to the 21^st century, voters in Costa Rica paid close attention to the potential First Ladies, who were implicit as part of the presidential candidacy package. Given the current spectrum of presidential candidates, there is a possibility that the First Lady post could go vacant in Costa Rica for another four years.

The last First Lady in Costa Rica was Leila Rodriguez Stahl, the wife of former President Abel Pacheco de la Espriella. When former President and Peace Nobel Laureate Oscar Arias Sanchez succeeded President Pacheco in 2006, he spent his second term as a divorced man. We currently have a First Gentleman, Jose Maria Rico Cueto, but he is an elderly man who has hardly assumed the duties traditionally associated with the spouse of a President of Costa Rica, which typically include works of charity, social empowerment, community outreach, and family advocacy.

Some voters in Costa Rica long for the days when First Ladies such as the refined, elegant and beautiful Margarita Penon Gongora (former wife of President Oscar Arias) would grace the presidential administration. Her work as First Lady from 1986 to 1990 saw important achievements such as her support for gender equality and female empowerment. In a way, we have First Lady Margarita Penon to thank for giving President Laura Chinchilla the opportunity to lead Costa Rica.

The majority of Tico voters, however, are not paying too much attention to the candidates’ spouses. Out of the five frontrunner candidates, two have been living with their romantic partners for quite some time but have no plans to tie the knot; these are Jose Maria Villalta and Luis Guillermo Solis.

Candidate Otto Guevara is a divorced man currently in a relationship with a ravishing beauty, but she has not appeared by his side during the campaign and he has not announced intentions to marry. Given current voter sentiment, candidates Guevara and Villalta have a clear shot at winning the elections, which would mean that Costa Rica would experience another four years without a First Lady.

There was a time when a divorced presidential candidate did not stand a chance at getting elected in Costa Rica. That has changed in the 21^st century, and we currently have Rodolfo Piza, who’s on his second marriage, and Johnny Araya, who’s on his fifth (!) marriage.

According to statistics cited by La Nacion, the number of people in Costa Rica who are either divorced or living together without tying the knot may soon catch up to the number of people who are formally married. This may explain why most Ticos are not so concerned about the marital status of the current presidential candidates these days. In the past, however, the conjectural “well-to-do” in Costa Rica once chastised a late First Lady who had been a prostitute.