COSTA RICA · POLITICS
A Costa Rican Supreme Court judge told her colleagues on Monday 9 November 2026 that she voted for the court’s president under pressure. Roxana Chacón, a magistrate of the court’s Sala Segunda (Second Chamber), spoke during a session of the Corte Plena, the full court of 22 justices that runs the judiciary.
The pressure, she said, came from groups of former judges and retired members of the judiciary before the vote on Monday 26 October 2026. It is her own account and has not been independently confirmed.
Costa Rica is a US trade partner, and its courts hear contract and corruption disputes. The episode suggests how political the fight over the court has become, and our guide to who holds power in Costa Rica explains the players.
Key Facts
- The claim Magistrate Roxana Chacón told the Corte Plena, the full 22-justice court, she voted under coercion on 9 November.
- The vote Patricia Vargas González became court president on 26 October 2026, winning the final round with 12 votes.
- The pressure Chacón says retired judges urged her to back magistrate Patricia Solano, who never asked her herself.
- Unconfirmed No reply from Solano or the groups was public, and no investigation has been announced.
- Power Index Costa Rica ranks 9th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 35.5 points (November 2026 edition).
What Happened
Chacón spoke two weeks after the court elected Patricia Vargas González as its president for 2026 to 2030. She told colleagues: “Ustedes votaron libremente, yo voté bajo coacción” (“You voted freely, I voted under coercion”).
Chacón said she resisted the pressure and voted by her own judgement. She did not name the people who pressed her.
She said the pressure came before the vote from groups of former judges and retired members of the judiciary, including people from the criminal-law sector. They urged her to back Solano.
Chacón voted for Gerardo Rubén Alfaro, a magistrate of the Sala Tercera (Third Chamber, criminal appeals). He was the only man in the final round.
Chacón said Solano herself never asked her personally for her vote. Solano, who presides over the Third Chamber, was one of the candidates.
In the same session, the Corte Plena set aside a request from groups outside the court that Chacón resign or be removed as coordinator of the judiciary’s Gender Commission. The request lacked the requesters’ signatures, and Chacón asked that it be decided on the merits if it is filed again with signatures.
Why It Matters
In Costa Rica the justices elect their own president, so a claim of pressure on one voter touches how the judiciary governs itself. In the final round on 26 October 2026 Vargas won 12 votes, the absolute majority needed in the 22-member court.
Alfaro received 7 votes and Solano 3. Damaris Vargas, the judiciary’s vice president and a magistrate of the Sala Primera (First Chamber), also ran.
Chacón said Vargas already had solid support in the court. She argued that the vote was not at risk of denying the court a woman president.
The vote also sits inside a wider fight over the court. On Wednesday 4 November 2026 the governing party, Pueblo Soberano (Sovereign People), which holds 31 of 57 seats in the Legislative Assembly, failed to stop Solano’s re-election to the Third Chamber, as our earlier report explains.
Chacón said the court chose “to have peace and calm” (“La Corte resolvió por tener paz y tranquilidad”). She regretted that the polarisation outside, with protests and sit-ins over the judiciary’s budget and independence, reached inside the court.
What to Watch Next
No dated checkpoint has been announced. The first open point is whether the request on the Gender Commission is filed again with signatures, which Chacón wants decided on its merits.
The second is whether Solano or the groups Chacón describes respond publicly. The third is whether any body opens an inquiry, which has not been announced.
What It Means for You
If your company has contracts or cases before Costa Rican courts, this is a story to follow rather than a reason to change plans. The courts hear contract and corruption disputes, and the fight over who leads them has turned political.
Nothing in what Chacón said points to a change in any pending case. For Costa Rica’s standing among its neighbours, see The Rio Times Latin America Power Index.
What Is Not Known
At the time of writing, no reply from Solano or from the groups Chacón names had been published. Who exactly the groups are has not been named.
Chacón’s account of pressure has not been independently confirmed. No investigation has been announced.
More: Costa Rica news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Did the Judge Say?
Roxana Chacón told the Corte Plena on Monday 9 November 2026 that she voted for the court’s president under coercion. She said groups of former and retired judicial figures pressed her.
Who Won the Court Presidency?
Patricia Vargas González was elected on Monday 26 October 2026 for 2026 to 2030, after five rounds. She won the final round with 12 votes.
Has the Claim Been Confirmed?
No. It is Chacón’s own account, no reply from Solano or the groups had been published, and no investigation has been announced.
Sources: Roxana Chacón, statements to the Corte Plena, 9 November 2026; Judicial Branch of Costa Rica, poder-judicial.go.cr (Corte Plena election of 26 October 2026); Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, asamblea.go.cr.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error