Latest news with #RodrigoChavesRobles
Straits Times
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Costa Rican President Chaves charged with illicit campaign financing
Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves Robles delivers a speech during a plenary session at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which gathers leaders, researchers and activists to discuss how to protect marine life, at the Centre des Expositions conference centre in Nice, France, June 9, 2025. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo SAN JOSE - Costa Rica's attorney general's office filed illicit campaign financing charges against President Rodrigo Chaves and six other government officials on Monday, asking the Supreme Court to lift the president's immunity and put him on trial. Among the accused are Foreign Minister Andre Tinoco and Stephan Brunner, one of Chaves' vice presidents, the attorney general's office said in a statement. Chaves' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The investigation, which began in 2022, found that two parallel financing structures were allegedly used to fund Chaves' presidential campaign and were not adequately reported, the statement said. The attorney general's office has already accused Chaves in a separate influence peddling case. Prosecutors in April alleged that members of his government awarded kickbacks to a top government ally using funds from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Costa Rican President Chaves charged with illicit campaign financing
Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves Robles delivers a speech during a plenary session at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which gathers leaders, researchers and activists to discuss how to protect marine life, at the Centre des Expositions conference centre in Nice, France, June 9, 2025. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Indian Express
‘Stop abusing animals': Cat nabbed smuggling drugs into Costa Rica prison, video goes viral
Prison guards at the Pococí Penitentiary in Costa Rica recently nabbed an unusual smuggler: a black-and-white cat with drugs taped to its body. The bizarre incident has drawn widespread attention. According to a Facebook post by Costa Rica's Ministry of Justice, guards noticed the cat behaving oddly as it moved near the prison's barbed wire fence. When they captured the animal, they discovered two tightly wrapped packages with marijuana, heroin, and rolling papers. The drugs were confiscated, and the feline, nicknamed 'Narcomichi' by social media users, was handed over to the National Animal Health Service for a check-up to ensure it wasn't harmed, the BBC reported. 'On the night of Tuesday, agents from the Prison Police at Pococí Prison managed to rescue a kitten that had two drug packages taped to its body. An officer stationed in one of the watchtowers spotted the animal in a grassy area and immediately raised the alarm,' the Costa Rica's Ministry of Justice wrote on Facebook. 'Thanks to the swift actions of the responding officers, the cat was captured and the packages were removed, preventing them from reaching their intended destination. Upon inspection of the packages, one was found to contain 235.65 grams of suspected marijuana, while the other held 67.76 grams of suspected crack paste, along with two sheets of rolling paper,' it added. The prison police have seized the drugs for a legal process, and coordinated with SENASA (National Animal Health Service) to ensure the cat received proper care. The ministry commended the quick action of the guards, noting that their vigilance 'prevented these substances from reaching the prison population.' Officials have now launched an investigation to trace the criminal network behind the operation, suggesting that the smuggling attempt was likely part of a larger, coordinated effort. Watch the viral video here: A post shared by BBC News (@bbcnews) Several social media users reacted to the incident, demanding that the cat be protected. 'What happened to the cat! Free the cat!' a user wrote. 'This is so sad. Stop abusing animals,' another user commented. 'Please make sure he is taken cared of that's abuse,' a third user reacted. 'We got cats smuggling before gta 6. Never forget,' a fourth user commented. Authorities believe the cat was deliberately trained or manipulated to serve as a courier, possibly released near the prison by someone involved in the trafficking ring. According to a report in The Tico Times, Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles unveiled plans days ago to build a new maximum-security prison modelled after El Salvador's controversial CECOT facility, part of his broader tough-on-crime strategy.
