Costa Rica’s Constitutional Chamber has ruled against President Rodrigo Chaves in a decisive legal stand for press freedom, asserting that his aggressive campaign against journalists amounted to executive overreach. The ruling stems from months of escalating rhetoric and targeted government actions that drew condemnation from human rights watchdogs.
As reported in The Tico Times, the court found that measures introduced by Chaves’ administration—ranging from public smear campaigns to legal threats—violated constitutional protections for freedom of expression and the press.
President Chaves, who has increasingly mimicked strongman tactics, lashed out at critics during televised addresses and sought to consolidate media oversight under his administration’s communications office. This attempt to centralize information flow and punish dissenting outlets sparked alarm across Latin America, where such patterns often presage deeper democratic erosion.
The court’s intervention marks a rare institutional victory against executive authoritarian drift. Civil society groups are cautiously celebrating the decision, but warn that the pressures facing independent media in Costa Rica are far from over. “This was a test of our constitutional resilience,” said one legal scholar. “And for now, the rule of law held.”
Chaves has not issued a formal response, but insiders say his office is exploring legislative workarounds. In the meantime, journalists remain on alert—reporting, resisting, and relying on a judiciary that, at least this week, stood up to power.