Q COSTARICA — Nearly a month after the alleged sexual abuse of a minor was reported, on Monday, 25 legislators asked Fabricio Alvarado, presidential candidate and legislator for the Nueva República party, to waive his immunity.
This would mean the presidential hopeful would have to face the criminal charges and would not be able to hide behind his immunity, which expires on May 8, 2026, when his legislative term ends.
The request was supported by legislators from various political parties: the PLN, Frente Amplio, PUSC (part), PLP, and several independents.
Conversely, 18 legislators from the Chavista movement, Nueva República, and some from the PUSC opposed it.
Dirty Campaign
After asserting that the sexual abuse allegation against him is a smear campaign, Alvarado claimed that the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) and the Frente Amplio were behind the accusations, which he described as “demagoguery” and “cheap politicking.”
“The people are tired of the demagoguery and the dirty campaign of the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) and the Frente Amplio, the same old faces. That’s precisely why they’ve lost popular support. Here I am, I’m Fabricio Alvarado, and I’m not hiding from anyone. I’ve addressed the legal process at the appropriate time, in the appropriate state, and in the appropriate place. Not in the press, because cases shouldn’t be litigated in the press if that’s what they want,” Alvarado stated in a message previously posted on his social media.
According to the ongoing investigation, the complaints against Alvarado were filed in September 2024 and February 2025. One of the complainants is of legal age, while the other is a young woman who was allegedly a victim of abuse and aggravated corruption when she was only 13 years old.