Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has dismissed a complaint seeking to block Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele from entering the country during the current pre-election period.

Costa Rica’s presidential race officially began in October 2025, when the TSE issued its formal call to the polls. Voters are scheduled to cast ballots on Feb. 1, 2026, with 20 presidential candidates currently cleared to compete.

The complaint, filed last week by Costa Rican citizens identified by the surnames Solera-Cordero and Quesada-Rodríguez, argued that Bukele’s visit could violate the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The complainants contended that the convention, to which Costa Rica is a party, prohibits foreign political representatives from interfering in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation. Based on that interpretation, they asserted that President Bukele should be denied entry ahead of Costa Rica’s 2026 presidential election.

In its ruling, the tribunal said the complainants failed to demonstrate how Bukele’s visit would directly and personally affect their fundamental political or electoral rights. “The complainants did not establish in what concrete and personal way the visit of President Bukele would impact their fundamental political-electoral rights,” the TSE said in a statement.

While rejecting the complaint, the tribunal emphasized that the Vienna Convention clearly obligates foreign political delegations not to interfere in the internal affairs of host states. Authorities noted that any action by a foreign head of state, whether in support of or opposition to a political party or candidate, could constitute a violation of public international law.

“Respect in relations between states implies, among other aspects, that the highest representatives of countries refrain from conduct suggesting sympathy or antipathy toward any political party or candidacy,” the tribunal said. “Such restraint prevents undue pressure on voters and ensures that their fundamental right to free suffrage is not compromised.”

Bukele is scheduled to visit Costa Rica on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the invitation of President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, according to a statement from the Presidential House.

His agenda includes participation in the groundbreaking ceremony for the High Containment Center Against Organized Crime, known by its Spanish acronym CACCO. The maximum-security prison is under construction in Alajuela Province.

The CACCO project is expected to cost approximately $35 million. Costa Rica’s Congress approved $15 million in August 2025 to finance the initial phase, with the remaining funds expected to be included in the 2026 national budget.

Once completed, the facility is expected to house more than 5,000 inmates across five buildings. Authorities say it will hold members of organized crime groups, violent offenders, inmates eligible for extradition, prisoners considered security risks and individuals requiring special protection. The prison is scheduled to open in January 2027.

Bukele is widely known for his aggressive anti-gang strategy, commonly referred to as the “Mano Dura” policies. Since March 2022, he has governed under a continuous state of exception that suspends key civil liberties to combat gangs such as MS-13 and Barrio 18.

Under his mass incarceration campaign, more than 85,000 people have been arrested, giving El Salvador the highest incarceration rate in the world. The policy includes the construction of the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, a so-called mega-prison designed to hold up to 40,000 inmates.