Twenty-seven former Presidents from Latin American and Spain have criticized the President of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, for his “systematic affront against Costa Rican media and journalists.” Specifically, they accused him of targeting newspapers La Nación and CRHoy.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Initiative for Democracy in Spain and the Americas (IDEA), an organization representing Ibero-American ex-leaders, they reproached the Costa Rican President for labeling the press as “scoundrels,” manipulating government advertising spending, “blocking income sources for Grupo Nación,” and using “tax authority to attack the owner of the digital media outlet CRHoy.”
The statement also acknowledged the actions taken by the Constitutional Court to curb Chaves’ actions, which, according to IDEA, reaffirm the country’s institutional strength.
Six former Costa Rica Presidents signed the statement, among them Óscar Arias Sánchez (1986-1990 and 2006-2010), Rafael Ángel Calderón (1990-1994), José María Figueres (1994-1998), Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (1998-2002), Laura Chinchilla (2010-2014), and Luis Guillermo Solís (2014-2018).
José María Aznar, former President of the Government of Spain; Felipe Calderón, from Mexico; Iván Duque, from Colombia; Luis Alberto Lacayo, from Uruguay; Mireya Moscoso, from Panama; and Sebastián Piñera, from Chile, also signed.
Attacks against the press
Last October, Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court annulled the Ministry of Health’s order to close Parque Viva, an events center owned by Grupo Nación, considering it an indirect violation of press freedom.
Subsequently, the Attorney General’s Office initiated an investigation against Chaves, the former Minister of Health, Joselyn Chacón Madrigal, and the head of Public Works and Transport, Luis Amador Jiménez, for alleged misconduct.
Regarding CRHoy, the government attributed a supposed “mega tax evasion case” to its owner, businessman Leonel Baruch, who is also a shareholder of Banco BCT. The accusation arose from a TikTok video, as admitted by the Minister of Finance, Nogui Acosta, during a session in the Legislative Assembly.
Moreover, on July 20th, Gloriana López Fuscaldo, former President of PANI (National Child Welfare Agency) and ex-Minister of Childhood, testified under oath before deputies that an advisor to President Rodrigo Chaves called her, urging her to handle a custody request related to Baruch’s children “with care.”
The government’s response
The Minister of Communication, Jorge Rodríguez Vives, emphasized that the Government considers freedom of the press and freedom of expression as fundamental values.
He stated that the government is striving to democratize advertising distribution to prevent it from being perceived as a reward for media either supporting or opposing the government.
Nonetheless, the IDEA group expressed concerns about the deterioration of freedom of expression and press in Costa Rica, which adds to similar experiences in other Latin American countries.
They warned that a turning point is occurring in freedom of expression, especially on the internet, and reminded about the principles of freedom of expression established by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
