Read Laura Fernández's full thesis on the Comptroller's Office and executive oversight

A 2016 thesis by Laura Fernández, now the president, offers insights into the checks and balances necessary for controlling executive power. The document, housed in the Luis Demetrio Tinoco Library at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), details how legislative and oversight bodies can effectively curb presidential authority.

Fernández, who holds a degree in Political Science from UCR and has received awards for her writing, explored these themes prior to her current presidential role. The article highlights the thesis as a foundational work that explains the importance of institutional constraints on executive power for a nation's governance.

The publication, La Nación, notes that the thesis is available for public access. In a bid to foster transparency and prevent misinformation, the newspaper has reserved its comment section for subscribers. This policy aims to ensure that discussions remain focused on the article's content rather than anonymous commentary, with subscriber identities being publicly displayed alongside their remarks.