SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) 鈥� ‘s outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves will remain a top official in his successor’s government, the country’s president-elect announced on Tuesday, granting the outgoing populist and Trump ally ongoing immunity in the face of corruption allegations.
Chaves will hold the posts of Minister of the Presidency and Minister of Finance in the incoming administration, Chaves鈥� political ally and president-elect Laura Fern谩ndez announced on Tuesday.
Such a move is unprecedented in Costa Rican politics and will offer the outgoing leader incredible sway over the next government. It marks another bold move by Chaves’ political movement that has tested the Central American nation’s democratic norms.
Fern谩ndez, set to take office on Friday, pitched herself as a figure of 鈥渃ontinuity” in the lead up to February elections 鈥� so much so that many ministers and leaders of Chaves鈥� government will also remain in their previous positions or swap roles. Fern谩ndez herself once acted as Minister to the President to Chaves, the role the outgoing leader will now assume.
鈥淛ust as we have done since the first day of your administration, we will continue working very well as a team,鈥� Fern谩ndez said to Chaves at a public event Tuesday in capital San Jos茅.
Chaves is a firebrand populist who has cozied up to U.S. President Donald Trump. He’s known for lashing out at the media and critics, and has sought to similar to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele by cracking down on an in the historically peaceful Central American nation.
Recently, Chaves agreed to accept 25 third-country deportees per week from the U.S. His government was accused of pushing for the Trump administration to of their visas.
The move by Fern谩ndez marks not just a continuation of Chaves’ grip on power, but also a temporary balm to his mounting legal ails, preserving the immunity he enjoyed as president.
Last year, Chaves’ presidency was rocked by scandal when he faced accusations by Costa Rican prosecutors of and , which the president has denied.
Prosecutors accused Chaves of pressuring a close associate and government contractor to give a chunk of money from the contract to a former campaign adviser.
As a result, Costa Rica鈥檚 legislature has tried and failed to strip Chaves of his immunity twice. With his appointment as a minister, another attempt appears unlikely, especially as the ruling party now holds a majority in the legislature.
Chaves has said the accusations are political revenge by the country鈥檚 attorney general and Supreme Court magistrates.
Costa Rica’s opposition politicians criticized Chaves’ appointment. Legislator Jos茅 Mar铆a Villalta said Tuesday the appointment was a blatant attempt to 鈥済rant or preserve immunity for controversial politicians from the outgoing government rather than to improve the functioning of institutions.鈥�
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Associated Press journalist Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City.
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