Q COSTARICA — The Juzgado Especializado de Cobro del Segundo Circuito Judicial de Goicoechea (Specialized Collection Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of Goicoechea) ordered the seizure of the allowances received by legislator José Miguel Villalobos Umaña, of the ruling party, the Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO), as part of a legal process promoted by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) to recover a debt that exceeds ¢300 million Colones ( more than US$660,000 dollars).
The Caja confirmed that the monthly deduction amounts to ¢611,393.77 (US$1,357) and that the measure has been in effect since May 15, 2026.
The legislator’s debt to the Caja corresponds to two main obligations registered as of November 20, 2025: ¢149.5 million (US$330,000) for unpaid contributions as an employer and ¢162.7 million (US$354,000) as a self-employed worker. In total, the amount claimed by the CCSS totals ¢312 million, according to an Internal Audit report.
The garnishment of his wages was possible after the specialized court issued a garnishment order, which constituted a turning point in a case that for years faced obstacles due to the inability to locate the lawyer and the absence of real estate registered in his name. The institution reported difficulties in notifying Villalobos and in finding attachable properties, which even led to considering the debt as difficult to recover.
Until recently, the Caja reported difficulties recovering the funds due to problems locating the lawyer and the lack of a real estate registered in his name that would allow them to proceed with the legal proceedings.
Currently, Villalobos holds a seat in the Legislative Assembly and therefore receives a salary that could be subject to garnishment.
On his biography posted by the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE), Villalobos was a member of the Board of Directors of the Caja, representative of the cooperative sector, 1998-200, advisor to the President for the 1998-2002 period, Minister of Justice in 2002.
He is a litigation attorney specializing in various areas, particularly criminal and criminal procedure law, and has acted as a defense attorney for former president Rodrigo Chaves.