RICO’s Q — Here’s a fresh take on the idea: What if legislators, instead of the Judiciary, chose the Fiscal (Attorney General)?
Currently, the Attorney General is selected by the justices of the Supreme Court.
If that change happened, the legislators of the ruling party, the Pueblo Soberano (PPSO), with a majority in the legislature—especially those facing criminal accusations—would get to pick who enforces the law.
That’s a pretty big power shift.
That is the proposal by PPSO legislator Marta Esquivel in presenting a bill that, in her opinion, would establish an independent Attorney General’s Office that is truly accountable, with a more transparent appointment process.
“Costa Rica needs an Attorney General’s Office that, in addition to being independent, is transparent, accountable, and responsive to the public interest. With this initiative, we seek to strengthen public trust in the Attorney General’s Office through an open election, clear rules, and effective oversight mechanisms, so that an institution with such power always acts in service to the people of Costa Rica and not to private interests,” stated the legislator.
Now, that is a proposal that merits discussion and analysis if it weren’t for the fact that Marta has more than 14 pending criminal cases due to the biggest corruption case in the history of the CCSS, the case known as ‘Caso Barrenador’, she wants to get revenge on the current Attorney General.
An Attorney General appointed by a simple majority of the Legislative Assembly would be a puppet of the Chavista party and could clearly affect the outcome of her case, as well as those of at least 11 other current legislators in the 2026–2030 term who face ongoing criminal investigations at different stages.
It might also be giving a hand to former President Rodrigo Chaves, who led the country from 2022 to 2026. Chaves’s final stretch in office was marked by several high-profile criminal investigations, political corruption scandals, and security threats.