Q COSTARICA — For the second time this year, opposition lawmakers in Congress failed in their attempt to lift President Rodrigo Chaves’s immunity.
After several hours of debate, the legislators only managed 35 votes in favor, falling three short of the 38 votes needed.
As before, the Nueva República party, and some members of the Partido Unidad Social Cristina (PUSC), and the ruling Partido Progreso Social voted against the measure. Gilberth Jiménez and Carolina Delgado, former legislators from the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN), were among those who voted against it.
Meanwhile, the PLN, the Frente Amplio, the Partido Liberal Progresista, and the bloc of independent legislators voted in favor.
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Despite the lack of votes, the legislative debate was fraught with harsh recriminations. For example, Rocío Alfaro of the Frente Amplio called the legislators who voted against the measure shameless, claiming they would surely be appointed to an ambassadorship or executive presidency in the next government if Laura Fernández wins. Meanwhile, Leslye Bojorges of the PUSC accused the PLN of protecting corrupt individuals, specifically referencing José María Figueres.
Similarly, Fabricio Alvarado of Nueva República suggested that some legislators lacked intelligence and morals, and Óscar Izquierdo of the PLN stated that some members of parliament were a disgrace to the teaching profession.
Immunity is a benefit granted to members of the Supreme Powers, allowing them to perform their duties without fear of legal repercussions.
The president was being investigated for the alleged crime of political belligerence, which essentially involves using public funds or engaging in political or electoral activities to favor a particular candidate or party.
At the end of September, legislators also failed to secure the 38 votes needed to lift Chaves’s immunity for the alleged crime of extortion, which is essentially a form of corruption involving supposedly offering a bribe to a third party in connection with a public contract.
After learning the result, Chaves called those who voted to lift his immunity “filibusters” and lamented the time and money wasted by Congress.
Lack of Unity in the Unidad
On this issue, the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) caucus once again demonstrated an internal fracture, with the legislators’ votes on lifting the immunity divided.
For example, Vanessa Castro stated that her obligation was to vote and that “true democrats stand firm.”
“I could have chosen to vote against it, but it’s not about the decision itself; it’s about respect for democracy and the individual’s freedom of choice. A democrat stands firm, even if the ground shakes,” Castro said.
Meanwhile, his colleague Leslye Bojorges pointed out that Chaves “is in the dock because he has stood up to the powerful elites.”
“They call him a pachuco (a derogatory term for a low-class person), because they can’t call him corrupt, because they can’t call him a thief, because they can’t call him a scoundrel. I don’t like the way they’re being called, but I prefer Rodrigo Chaves Robles as president to a corrupt, scoundrel, and thief like José María Figueres Olsen,” said Bojorges, while also recalling that the latter left the country for almost ten years.
In addition to Bojorges, Melina Ajoy, Horacio Alvarado, and María Marta Carballo voted against lifting the immunity.
Suspension of Leave
On the other hand, Sofía Guillén, a legislator from the Frente Amplio (FA), interrupted her maternity leave to attend the Legislative Assembly and vote in favor of lifting the president’s immunity.
During her speech, Guillén stated that she would have preferred to be at home with her two-month-old baby, but that her civic duty compelled her to go to Cuestas de Moras (Legislative House) to cast her vote.
Despite this, she lamented having to listen to speeches from members of the Nueva Republica party and the ruling party.