Laura Chinchilla, the frontrunner in the 2010 Costa Rican presidential election, spoke to representatives of the country's biggest international firms Wednesday with a message that played to their interests.

Her presidency, she said, would be characterized by an effort to reduce regulations and paperwork, speed up bureaucratic processes and allocate more resources to improving the country's infrastructure.

“Costa Rica needs to ascend to a new stage in development as a leader in innovation, technology and sustainable development,” she told an audience of dark-suited business men and women, at a luncheon organized by the Costa Rican American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM). “How do you ensure that Costa Rica advances with the same velocity? Well, vote for me.”

Working with a power point presentation, she showed how Costa Rica already tops many regional statistics in economic development, including its position as the fourth most-developed nation in Latin America.

But she listed equality, sustainability, security, competitiveness and governability as challenges to the next administration.

“We envision a Costa Rica that continues to be competitive … that is prosperous, green (environmentally-friendly) and intelligent,” she said.

For Lynda Solar, executive director of AMCHAM, the message is on track, but putting it into action is another question.

“She gets it,” said Solar. “She understands the issues and concerns we have. Yet, it's not a matter so much of what she says, but that she executes her plan.”

In other political news, the tourism minister is the latest in a long list of politicians to leave President Oscar Arias's administration in order to gear up for a potential post with Chinchilla, should she win. Carlos Ricardo Benavides will be replaced by Allan Flores.