Costa Rican President Chaves charged with illicit campaign financing

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Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves Robles delivers a speech during a plenary session at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which gathers leaders, researchers and activists to discuss how to protect marine life, at the Centre des Expositions conference centre in Nice, France, June 9, 2025. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo

Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves Robles delivers a speech during a plenary session at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which gathers leaders, researchers and activists to discuss how to protect marine life, at the Centre des Expositions conference centre in Nice, France, June 9, 2025. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo

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SAN JOSE - Costa Rica's attorney general's office filed illicit campaign financing charges against President Rodrigo Chaves and six other government officials on Monday, asking the Supreme Court to lift the president's immunity and put him on trial.

Among the accused are Foreign Minister Andre Tinoco and Stephan Brunner, one of Chaves' vice presidents, the attorney general's office said in a statement.

Chaves' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The investigation, which began in 2022, found that two parallel financing structures were allegedly used to fund Chaves' presidential campaign and were not adequately reported, the statement said.

The attorney general's office has already accused Chaves in a separate influence peddling case.

Prosecutors in April alleged that members of his government awarded kickbacks to a top government ally using funds from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration. REUTERS

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