Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Thursday barred President Rodrigo Chaves from participating in the 2026 election campaign, ruling that he “illegitimately used” his office to “favor a political program.” The ruling comes amid ongoing tensions between branches of government in Central America’s most stable democracy.
Chaves has accused the Prosecutor’s Office, the Supreme Court, and Congress of blocking his policy agenda, while leaders of those institutions accuse him of authoritarian tendencies. The Tribunal ordered that the president “is prohibited from making any statement or taking any action that could benefit or harm any party, candidate, pre-candidate, political faction, or movement” running in the upcoming general elections.
Therefore, he “must refrain from any behavior that may influence voters’ free decision-making,” the Tribunal ruled, upholding an electoral protection complaint. The complaint was filed on March 25 by political analyst Claudio Alpízar, who argued that Chaves had built “a narrative that favors a specific party or sector,” violating electoral law and undermining public trust in the voting system.
The Tribunal determined that the president “engaged in repeated and undeniably serious actions that directly affected the fundamental rights of the complainant and, indirectly, those of the electorate—specifically the right to vote freely.” Both the Constitution and Electoral Code prohibit the president and other senior officials from engaging in political or electoral activities or using their office to benefit any party.
The Tribunal acknowledged that the president “violated the fundamental rights of the citizenry” and issued instructions to prevent it from happening again. Chaves, a 64-year-old conservative economist and former World Bank official, is not eligible for re-election. However, political allies have not ruled out his possible bid for a legislative seat in the 2026 election.
His image as a strong-handed populist leader continues to resonate with voters in opinion polls. The president has said he hopes his party will win a supermajority in Congress in the upcoming elections in order to push through major reforms.
On Monday, the Prosecutor’s Office formally accused Chaves and six top officials and lawmakers of allegedly receiving illicit campaign financing during the 2022 election. The Supreme Court must now decide whether to ask Congress to lift their legal immunity and allow them to stand trial.
