Q COSTA RICA — The Fiscalía General (Attorney General’s Office) confirmed it issued an immigration alert regarding presidential advisor and former legislator Pilar Cisneros, needing to summon her for an investigative statement and it had been unable to serve her notice at her home or by phone.
This is the same stunt Minister and Former President Rodrigo Chaves used recently, couldn’t be found anywhere in Casa Presidencial to be served a summons.
For Chaves, slipping past immigration controls would be tough. His boisterous personality, recognizable face, and immunity would make it nearly impossible.
When it came to Cisneros, the Fiscalía meant business. The Attorney General’s Office said it tried to locate Pilar Cisneros seven times before issuing an immigration alert; Officials went to Cisneros’s registered residence on August 6 and 17, and on one of those occasions, a person told them that the former legislator no longer lived there.
The Fiscalía added that on August 20, it made three calls to three phone numbers registered in Cisneros’s name and a fourth call answered by a man who identified himself as her husband. He indicated that the former legislator was out of the country and provided another number to contact her, as well as stating when she would return to Costa Rica.
The Fiscalía stated that five days later, on August 25, one day after the date the man had indicated for Cisneros’s return, they called that number. However, according to the official account, another person answered the call and indicated that the former legislator was unavailable.
The alert was cancelled after the summons was issued. This came after Cisneros crossed the gates to Casa Presidencial to be served in front of the press.
The case against Cisneros originated from evidence from the main case, 22-000116-1218-PE, in which the Fiscalía filed charges against former President Rodrigo Chaves Robles and former Vice President Stephan Brunner Neibig. According to the Fiscalía, it opened the parallel case after five individuals under investigation lost their immunity from prosecution.
The Fiscalía says the summons is to compel Cisneros to appear for questioning in the case concerning the allegedly irregular financing of the presidential campaign that led Rodrigo Chaves to electoral victory in 2022.
In addition to Cisneros, the case also involves individuals with the surnames André, Alpízar, Agüero, and Nájera. The Fiscalía indicated that all of them had already been summoned and questioned.
Pilar Cisneros Gallo
Pilar Cisneros is a renowned Costa Rican journalist and political figure of Peruvian origin. For decades, she was one of the country’s most influential communicators, particularly noted for her work as co-director of the Telenoticias news program on Channel 7.
In 2022, she entered electoral politics and was elected as a member of the National Assembly representing the province of San José for the 2022-2026 term, serving as the leader of the Social Democratic Progress Party (PPSD) caucus.
Her political career has been intrinsically linked to President Rodrigo Chaves, establishing a powerful and highly visible partnership in Costa Rican politics. In the 2022 campaign, Cisneros was instrumental in Chaves’ political rise. Political analysts point out that prior to her involvement, the vast majority of voters did not know Chaves. Her credibility as a former investigative journalist helped open doors to popular sectors, acting as a crucial bridge for his presidential victory.
Pilar Cisneros transitioned into a formal role as the Ad Honorem Communication Advisor to the Government of Costa Rica following the conclusion of her legislative term in May 2026.