Published on Tuesday, May 5, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

President-elect Laura Fernández-Delgado announced Tuesday that outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves-Robles will remain in government under her administration, taking on leadership roles in two key institutions.

Fernández announced during the formal presentation of her governing team at the Melico Salazar Theatre in San José. The event included the appointment of ministers, institutional leaders and senior officials who will serve during her 2026–2030 term as Costa Rica’s 50th president.

The move is widely seen as unprecedented in modern Costa Rican political history since the Costa Rican Civil War of 1948. It marks the first known instance of a president completing a full constitutional term and then continuing in a subsequent administration as a minister under a president from a different political party.

Chaves, who is scheduled to transfer power to Fernández on Friday, May 8, will lead both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Presidency.


The Ministry of Finance oversees fiscal policy and public resource management, with a focus on economic efficiency and effectiveness.


The Ministry of the Presidency provides political, technical and administrative support to the president, including coordinating with government institutions and serving as a liaison with the Congress (Legislative Assembly).


Chaves is expected to assume his new duties on Friday and will hold ministerial authority in both institutions through May 8, 2030.

Under Costa Rica’s Constitution, senior government officials, including ministers, are granted criminal immunity for actions taken while in office.

Chaves’ presidency has also drawn polemics. He became the first Costa Rican president to face two separate congressional votes on allegations against him. In both cases, lawmakers voted to uphold his constitutional immunity in a corruption-related matter, preventing criminal proceedings from advancing while he remained in office.

Prosecutors are expected to review those cases and determine whether to file formal charges after Chaves completes his term as minister in 2030.

Chaves, Costa Rica’s 49th president from 2022 to 2026, previously served as finance minister from 2019 to 2020 under former President Carlos Alvarado-Quesada. He also held a position as director for Indonesia at the World Bank.

On Monday, Chaves delivered his fourth and final annual address at the Congress, outlining the achievements of his administration.

Fernández also announced her broader cabinet, naming officials to lead multiple ministries, including economy, exports, tourism, technology, health, public security, public works and transportation, and agriculture, among others.

Fernández will be sworn in on May 8 to begin her four-year term. She and her cabinet are scheduled to take office on the same day.

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What have you heard about presidents who complete their term and then continue serving in a subsequent administration? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com