Q COSTA RICA — To prevent cases like that of José Miguel Villalobos, a legislator from the ruling party, the Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO), the Frente Amplio caucus called on the Legislature to approve a proposed law that would prohibit legislators from practicing a profession while serving as legislator.
The controversy surrounding this issue came to light on Monday when Villalobos, who is a criminal defense attorney, failed to attend the presentation of a second package of security proposals by President Laura Fernández.
His absence was because, at the same time, Villalobos was in court defending a man named Sánchez, who is accused of alleged drug trafficking in the “Caso Pana”, an alleged criminal organization dedicated to international cocaine trafficking and money laundering,
“The proposal from former legislator Jonathan Acuña was presented for the second time to the legislature on April 24, 2024, and proposed an amendment to the Law Against Corruption and Illicit Enrichment. Today, more than ever, it is essential to approve this law,” said Sigrid Segura, a Frente Amplio legislator.
On Wednesday, a heated exchange erupted between the Frente Amplio legislator and Villalobos, who appeared offended by the indirect remarks from the second largest opposition block with seven legislative seat.
Segura questioned the Government’s actions of downplaying “Operation Némesis”, which culminated in the capture of Costa Rica’s most wanter, Alejandro Arias, alias “Diablo”, accused of being the leader of a criminal organization, and declared that “we should ask ourselves why there are legislators who defend drug traffickers.”
This prompted Villalobos to request the floor to accuse Segura of insulting him, without mentioning his name. This, in turn, triggered an intervention by José María Villalta, head of the Frente Amplio caucus, who denied that Segura had insulted him.
“You are questioning a legislator because she said that there are legislators who defend drug traffickers. There is no attack in that. You are a lawyer and you defend those accused of drug trafficking; that is neither a falsehood nor an insult. It is incorrect; it may be legal, but it is wrong, especially while the government was presenting bills to combat crime and drug trafficking,” Villalta said.
“I have the right to question. I deeply regret that he (Villalobos) felt offended. You know why. I imagine he may be resentful because I didn’t accept his invitation to dinner, but I won’t accept his accusation that I disrespected him,” Segura declared.
Opposition legislators Claudia Dobles of the Coalición Agenda Ciudadana (CAC), Salvador Padilla of the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN, and Villalta himself criticized the government for limiting the judiciary, despite the operations. Padilla also demanded that former president Rodrigo Chaves, former security minister Mario Zamora, and former deputy minister Manuel Jiménez Steller be held accountable for decisions that became “a series of blunders in security.”
This prompted the President of the Legislature, Yara Jiménez, to intervene, asking the legislators to end these complaints, since she had a commitment to put to a vote motions of order, in which it was requested to censure the statements of the Minister of Finance and Minister of the Presidency, Rodrigo Chaves, for his demonstrations in Nicoya on July 25, in which he asked demonstrators if they were afraid of a dictatorship or the closure of the Judicial Branch.
Prior to being elected in February 2026 as legislator for the , José Miguel Villalobos has served as the personal defense attorney and legal counsel for former President Rodrigo Chaves in multiple high-profile judicial matters, such the impeachment & immunity iearings, and various lawsuits and judicial accusations levied during the 2022–2026 presidential term, among others. Beyond their formal professional relationship, Villalobos has publicly stated that he shares a close, decades-long friendship with Chaves dating back to their school days.