For the first time in the nation’s history, a sitting president of Costa Rica appeared before Congress in San José, on Friday to defend himself in a case that could strip him of presidential immunity and open the door to criminal prosecution.

President Rodrigo Chaves-Robles testified before a special three-member congressional committee that is weighing a petition from the Supreme Court to lift his immunity so prosecutors can move forward with corruption charges.

Costa Rica’s Constitution grants sitting presidents absolute criminal immunity for acts committed while in office. Never before has the Supreme Court asked lawmakers to revoke that protection.

During a tense 90-minute hearing, Chaves denied wrongdoing, rejected witness testimony, and dismissed the allegations as “a political show, lies, and a malicious setup” against him.

In April, Attorney General Carlo Díaz-Sánchez formally charged Chaves and Culture Minister Jorge Rodríguez-Vives with concussion. The offense occurs when a public official, while performing official duties, unlawfully demands, requests, or accepts money, services, or valuables for personal or third-party gain. Conviction carries a penalty of two to eight years in prison.

Prosecutors allege that Chaves and Rodríguez pressured businessman Bulgarelli-Rojas, whose company held government contracts, into paying $32,000 to a woman identified as Fernández-Vílchez. That money was allegedly linked to a lease-and-purchase deal for a residence tied to a Chaves advisor, Cruz-Saravanja.

The Attorney General’s Office says the payment was made in February 2023, shortly after Bulgarelli’s company received about $300,000 in government compensation.

In a separate allegation, prosecutors contend that Chaves sought $1 million in non-reimbursable funds from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI). Part of those funds allegedly flowed into contracts with Bulgarelli’s company, which provided communications and consulting services to the government.

The Attorney General argues that Chaves, Rodríguez, and Cruz coordinated the misuse of $32,000 in funds linked to the CABEI-managed contract beginning in mid-2022.

The committee will now draft a report for the full legislature. At least 38 of Costa Rica’s 57 lawmakers must vote in favor of lifting immunity for the case to proceed. Chaves faces allegations of concussion, a white-collar crime under Costa Rican law.

In July, Costa Rica’s Supreme Court formally requested that Congress vote on lifting Chaves’ immunity.

The case has sharply divided Costa Rican politics. In March 2025, Chaves organized a government-backed protest outside the Supreme Court in San José against Attorney General Díaz-Sánchez. The demonstration drew hundreds of supporters, including public employees, ministry officials, and members of Chaves’ political base.

In a separate development, Congress recently and unanimously accepted the resignation of First Vice President Stephan Lars Andreas Brunner-Neibig, who stepped down to pursue a seat in the 2026 general elections.

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