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.

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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.

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The Panama Canal experienced a 30% increase in ship transits during the first eight months of fiscal year 2025 compared to the same period last year, the canal administration reported Wednesday, on the eve of the ninth anniversary of its expansion inauguration.

“The Panama Canal will commemorate on Thursday, June 26, the ninth anniversary of its expansion, marking a rise in transits and cargo tonnage during the first eight months of fiscal year 2025,” said an official statement.

Alongside the increase in transits, between October 2024 and May 2025, cargo tonnage rose by 22%, with 326 million Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) tons handled, according to the canal authority. The waterway handles about 3% of global trade.

“This growth has been made possible thanks to the recovery of the Gatún and Alajuela lake levels, which has allowed the Canal to offer safe, efficient, and reliable service to its clients,” the statement added.

A severe seasonal drought and the El Niño phenomenon caused a water crisis in the Canal between 2023 and part of 2024, forcing restrictions on the number of daily transits.

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Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves opened a new line of conflict on Wednesday with key national institutions, this time targeting the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), which he accused of trying to silence him and his cabinet ahead of the October electoral campaign.

“I’m concerned that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which we’ve praised as the best in the world, is now doing unthinkable things. They decided to silence the government, my fellow ministers, and me. Silence and muzzle us,” said Chaves during his weekly press conference.

Chaves’ remarks follow a recent TSE resolution that extends the ban on promoting government achievements during the election period to include social media and digital platforms, not just traditional media, in an effort to ensure executive neutrality during the campaign.

Costa Rica’s constitution does not allow consecutive presidential re-election.

President Chaves questioned the impartiality of three TSE magistrates, including TSE President Eugenia Zamora, claiming that they had ties in the past with the opposition National Liberation Party (PLN).

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He compared the situation to a World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, where FIFA assigns Brazilian referees to officiate the match—suggesting bias in the electoral process.