The Costa Rican government has confirmed it is investigating an alleged plot to assassinate President Rodrigo Chaves, less than three weeks before the country’s general elections scheduled for February 1.
Jorge Torres, Director of the Directorate of Intelligence and National Security, said authorities received information from a confidential source alleging that an assassin had been paid to kill the president.
Security agencies have since launched an investigation into the claim.
Attorney General Carlo Díaz disclosed that a female suspect is being investigated in connection with the alleged plot but declined to provide further details. He described the suspect as active on social media and stated that, so far, there is no evidence linking the alleged assassination plan to the upcoming elections.
President Chaves, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a second consecutive term, has endorsed former minister Laura Fernández as his preferred successor. Fernández has been leading in recent opinion polls, campaigning on a platform that includes tougher measures against drug trafficking, which authorities say has contributed to rising violence in the country.
The announcement of the alleged plot coincided with a state visit to Costa Rica by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. Opposition groups have raised concerns about potential foreign interference in the electoral process.
During his visit, Bukele is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for a new prison in Costa Rica modelled after El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT). The facility has been central to El Salvador’s security strategy, under which thousands of suspected gang members have been detained without formal charges.
CECOT has drawn international attention and criticism, with some Venezuelans deported from the United States to the facility last year later alleging they were subjected to torture following their release.
Costa Rican authorities said investigations into the alleged assassination plot are ongoing.