Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla
isn't opposed to a favorable ruling on gay marriage, the
Tico Times reported.
The 52-year-old Chinchilla talked about
the issue during the last day of a 6-day U.S. tour that ended in
California.
On Monday, two gay couples filed a
legal challenge to marry in the Latin American country.
When asked about the case, Chinchilla,
who said in 2009 that she does not support gay marriage, said she
continues to support marriage as a heterosexual institution, but
added that if a Costa Rican court allowed gay and lesbian couples to
marry, she wouldn't oppose the ruling.
Gay marriage, however, isn't part of
her “national agenda.”
“There are complex issues that
require us to prioritize, such as employment or security,”
Chinchilla said. “Obviously, if there is a decision of a court of
law, we could not object to it.”
Currently, 10 mostly European countries
allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. Argentina last year became
the first Latin American country to legalize the institution. Gay
couples can marry in the city-state of Mexico City and those
marriages are recognized throughout Mexico. A
Brazilian court recently ruled in favor of granting gay couples
limited rights often associated with marriage, but a marriage
license remains out of reach.