Q COSTARICA — Luis Amador, presidential candidate for the Partido Integración Nacional (PIN), hinted that his former boss, President Rodrigo Chaves, might not be willing to relinquish power when his term ends at noon on May 8, 2026.
Amador stated that there are “indications” that raise “reasonable doubts” about the eventual transition of power, in response to a question from La Reacción.
El chavismo no quiere dejar el poder. Estaremos expectantes y vigilantes.
NO al continuismo y al caos. SI al cambio y a la esperanza. pic.twitter.com/yaxClWHEY4
— Luis Amador (@LuisAmadorJ) October 19, 2025
“I’d like you to see his face when you ask him that, and when you see that face, you realize he’s not ready to hand over power. You realize with all the other indications, his movements, bringing in mayors, apparently offering them public positions, putting pressure on them, and taking out the auction so that there’s no longer a diversity of media outlets, but rather concentrating them in a few, you begin to realize… The continued insistence that they want to appoint him as Minister of the Presidency, there they confirmed to us the puppet show and that he’s not ready to hand over power. He’s not ready. It’s a reasonable doubt, and that doubt is very dangerous. It’s very dangerous, because his performance in problem-solving has been terrible,” Amador stated.
Previously, Laura Fernández, presidential candidate for Partido Pueblo Soberano and representative of ‘rodriguismo’ in the upcoming elections, stated that she will do everything possible to ensure that Chaves becomes Minister of the Presidency starting in May of next year.
On October 1, during a press conference, the president was directly asked whether he would relinquish power if the ruling party loses the presidential elections on February 1 or in a possible second round in April 2026.
The president’s response was emphatic, denying any interest in remaining in office.
“It’s an absurd question. I will relinquish power on May 8, 2026, to whomever the people of Costa Rica elect. And I swear by my holy mother in heaven. I will relinquish power to those who call me dictatorial, to those who don’t like being told the truth in their faces, to those who call me authoritarian, to those who don’t like us connecting with the poor people of Naranjo,” Chaves said.
Luis Amador is a notable figure in Costa Rica, primarily known for his role as the Minister of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) from May 2022 to March 2024. Besides his political career, he is an Associate Professor and a transportation consultant, holding a doctorate in engineering, and has an academic affiliation with Concordia University.