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 SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) - Free trade proponent Oscar Arias won Costa Rica's presidential election by 18,167 votes, one of the country's closest races ever, according to results released Wednesday. Election judges were waiting until complaints were resolved before making an official declaration.
An Associated Press tabulation of the complete official vote count showed arias — a former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate — received 664,545 votes compared to 646,378 votes for Otton Solis, a lesser-known economist who opposes a free-trade agreement with the United States.
"I thank the Costa Rican people for their confidence," Arias said in brief comments to reporters Wednesday night, adding that he will lead the country again 20 years after his first term as president.
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