Central America
Costa Rican president Rodrigo Chaves faces new campaign finance accusation amid political tensions
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves faces a new accusation involving alleged irregularities in the financing of his electoral campaign, a development that has intensified his confrontation with Attorney General Carlo Díaz and even led him to lead a march demanding Díaz’s removal.
“We came to change the rules of the game, to give you (the people) back one of the three branches of government, I assure you this with all my heart and without fear of Carlo Díaz’s threats and his absurd accusations against me,” the president said during his weekly press conference on Wednesday.
On Monday, the Attorney General’s Office filed an accusation with the Supreme Court against Chaves, First Vice President Stephan Brunner, Foreign Minister Arnoldo André, and four ruling party deputies: Pilar Cisneros, Luz Mary Alpízar, Paola Nájera, and Waldo Agüero. The request included lifting the immunity of those involved to open a trial.
According to an investigation launched in 2022, two parallel financing structures were allegedly used during the Social Democratic Progress Party (PPSD) campaign: a private trust and personal bank accounts under the name of a woman surnamed Agüero, who faces a separate criminal proceeding. Both mechanisms reportedly operated outside the control of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and the party’s treasury.
Costa Rican law prohibits such maneuvers. The Electoral Code establishes that contributions to parties or campaigns must come only from identified national individuals and be channeled through official means.
This is the second time the Attorney General’s Office has requested the Supreme Court to lift the president’s immunity. In April, another accusation was filed against Chaves for extortion, related to alleged irregular hiring of communication services funded by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI).
The Supreme Court must decide whether to forward the accusations to Congress, where the possible lifting of presidential immunity would be debated. No deadline has been set for this decision.
During his administration, Chaves has maintained a tense relationship with Congress, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, and the Judiciary, whom he has frequently accused of political bias and inefficiency.
The confrontation with Attorney General Díaz has been particularly hostile. In March, the president led a demonstration against Díaz, whom he called a “neighborhood bully” and a “puppet.” After the march, the attorney general denounced a “worrying attack on the separation of powers” and noted that the protest was linked to ongoing investigations against the president.
Central America
U.S. suspends Venezuela talks as Trump considers next phase of military campaign
U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended diplomatic efforts with Venezuela and instructed his special envoy, Richard Grenell, to halt all negotiations, a senior U.S. official confirmed on Monday. The move comes amid growing fears of a military escalation between the two countries and after Trump stated on Sunday that there were “no boats left in the Caribbean,” referring to previous attacks, adding that he might “have to start looking on land.”
Speaking from the Oval Office alongside senior military officials last Thursday, Trump directed Grenell to stop all diplomatic initiatives with Caracas. The decision, revealed later by a U.S. official, confirms that the administration has abandoned the diplomatic path for now.
When asked whether Trump was considering military action inside Venezuela, the official, quoted by Reuters, said the president had not yet decided whether to move his campaign into a second phase.
Central America
Two adults and a child die after landslide in northwestern Costa Rica
Two adults and a minor died after a landslide triggered by heavy rains buried their home in the province of Alajuela, in northwestern Costa Rica, the Red Cross reported on Sunday.
The incident was reported to emergency services late Saturday night following intense rainfall in the town of San Ramón, Alajuela.
“After more than five hours of intense search and rescue efforts, we recovered the bodies of two adults and a minor, who were found without vital signs at the scene,” the Red Cross said via its official WhatsApp channel.
Three other people who were inside the house at the time of the landslide managed to escape “on their own,” the agency added.
According to the National Meteorological Institute (IMN), Costa Rica is currently experiencing widespread atmospheric instability caused in part by a tropical wave, which is expected to bring heavy downpours across various regions of the country.
Central America
El Salvador reaches 1,027 homicide-free days under president Bukele
On Friday, October 3, no homicides were reported in El Salvador, according to data from the National Civil Police (PNC). This brings the country’s total to 1,027 days without murders during President Nayib Bukele’s administration.
Since the implementation of the State of Exception on March 27, 2022, El Salvador has recorded 913 homicide-free days, meaning that more than 80% of days under the measure have been free of killings.
So far in 2025, authorities have reported 229 days without homicides. February ended with 26 homicide-free days; January, April, May, and June each registered 25; March had 22; July closed with 29; August with 27; September with 23; and the first two days of October continue the trend.
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