Costa Rican deputies spent over ¢21 million on fuel

Costa Rican deputies in the Legislative Assembly spent more than ¢21 million on gasoline during the first three months of their term, spanning May to July. While legislators do not receive a traditional salary, they earn monthly allowances based on participation in plenary sessions, commissions, and faction meetings, alongside representation expenses.

According to reports from the Legislative Assembly, fuel consumption increased monthly, rising from ¢4.9 million in May to ¢7.3 million in June, and reaching approximately ¢8.8 million in July. Ana Ruth Esquivel of the Pueblo Soberano party recorded the highest individual expenditure, totaling ¢1,054,667 over the 90-day period.

Other high spenders include Eder Hernández and Norjelens Lobo from the National Liberation Party (PLN), with expenditures of ¢994,000 and ¢965,000 respectively. The Pueblo Soberano and PLN factions combined accounted for over ¢20 million of the total. Eleven deputies reported zero fuel expenditure during this period, with five members having formally renounced the benefit for the 2026-2030 term.