Laura Chinchilla is a political scientist specialising in public policy. She earned her bachelor's degree from the School of Political Science at the University of Costa Rica and a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University.
She served as President of Costa Rica from 2010 to 2014. Previously, she held the positions of Vice President, Minister of Justice, Minister of Public Security, and member of Congress, where she chaired the Special Commission on Drug Trafficking and Security.
Her presidency was marked by policies aimed at enhancing citizen security, early childhood development, women's empowerment, environmental protection, and the advancement of high-performance and recreational sports.
Currently, she is a member of several prestigious organizations, including the International Olympic Committee, the Club of Madrid, the Inter-American Dialogue, the Atlantic Council, the Concordia Summit, and the Euromerican Foundation. She serves as co-chair of the Advisory Council for the Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (HDR/UNDP), advises the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Latin American Development Bank (CAF), is President of the Club of Madrid, and serves as the International Olympic Committee's Permanent Observer to the United Nations.
She has been a visiting professor and fellow at universities including Georgetown University, Florida International University, Cornell University, the University of São Paulo, and the Monterrey Institute of Technology. A columnist and lecturer, she has authored publications on citizen security, democracy, and the rule of law.
She has received numerous distinctions, including honorary doctorates from Georgetown University, the University of Peace, Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.