Costa Rican voters have elected their first woman president in a vote of confidence for the nation's current policies.

They also elected congressmen who pledged to defend traditional Christian values.

Every four years, Costa Ricans turn their presidential elections into a nationwide party. People line the streets to cheer on cars with their party's flags.

As Central America's most durable democracy, they celebrate the right to vote. And this year they overwhelmingly elected Laura Chinchilla, continuing the current party's control of the nation's destiny. Chinchilla will be the first woman president in costa rica's history.

But voters also gave evangelicals a victory by electing two of their own to Congress. Congressman Carlos Avendaño already knows the struggles that lie ahead.

"Challenges that have to do with principles and values," he explained. "The issue of legalizing abortion, legalizing marriage between same-sex partners, reforms that would remove Christian principles from the Constitution, those will be issues in coming legislation during the next four years."

Reinaldo Salaza, president of the Evangelical Alliance, says Chinchilla was the best candidate for defending moral and ethical values.

"Laura Chinchilla's election to the presidency of the republic is good news for the country and for the interests of the kingdom of God and the Christian principles professed by the evangelical church of Costa Rica," he said.

During her campaign, Chinchilla gained the support of Christians during her meetings with evangelical leaders and the Christian media by her firm opposition to abortion and gay marriage.