Former Costa Rican presidents defend Constitutional Court, warn Legislature

A group of eight former presidents of Costa Rica – Óscar Arias Sánchez, Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier, José María Figueres Olsen, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría, Abel Pacheco de la Espriella, Laura Chinchilla Miranda, Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera and Carlos Alvarado Quesada – issued a joint statement defending the Constitutional Court (Sala IV). The statement criticised the Legislative Assembly’s failure to appoint substitute magistrates, warning that the court’s ability to protect citizens’ rights and uphold the rule of law could be compromised.

The former leaders stressed that weakening the court would weaken the protection of fundamental rights such as health, education, environment, access to public information, freedom of expression and due process. They called on the Assembly to guarantee the necessary conditions for the court’s full operation and urged the public to remain vigilant in defending democratic institutions.