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13h ago

Costa Rica Supreme Court Asks Congress to Strip President’s Immunity for Bribery Trial

An opposition-controlled Congress must decide if President Rodrigo Chaves and Culture Minister Jorge Rodríguez can be tried for allegedly diverting part of a $32,000 communications contract.

FILE - Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves talks with reporters outside the White House in Washington, Aug. 29, 2023, following his meeting with President Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
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Overview

  • The Supreme Court voted 15 to 7 to request that Congress lift the immunity of President Chaves and Culture Minister Rodríguez for prosecution.
  • Attorney General Carlo Díaz alleges Chaves forced a presidency contractor to redirect funds to his former image adviser Federico Cruz.
  • Prosecutors say the $32,000 contract was financed by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and awarded through improper procedures.
  • Costa Rica’s top court has never before sought to revoke a sitting president’s immunity from prosecution.
  • An opposition-led legislature now holds the final authority to decide whether the trial can proceed.