QCOSTARICA — After asserting that the Frente Amplio (FA) political party is against the construction of a mega-prison and that such a decision would not help address the security problem, Antonio Ortega Gutiérrez, head of that party’s faction, accused Rodrigo Chaves’ government of corruption.
“They turned out to be more corrupt than the corrupt officials they’ve been pointing out all their lives. There they are, clinging to immunity, promising mega-prisons. Before thinking about a mega-prison, we should think about a mega-kennel, to see how many ministers, chief executives, and legislators can fit in that mega-kennel, because if we want a mega-prison, we’ll have to move them,” Ortega said in Tuesday’s plenary session.
The controversial statement comes in response to the government’s intention to build a penitentiary center with a capacity for 5,000 inmates in just 195 days and with an investment of US$35 million.
Doña Pilar, antes de una megacárcel mejor busque una megaperrera para los suyos 🫵🏽 pic.twitter.com/4VGeD7DcEg
— Antonio Ortega Gutiérrez (@antoniorteguti) April 30, 2025
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The proposal, inspired by the Salvadoran model, was recently defended by Justice Minister Gerald Campos, who highlighted the efficiency of the Center for Confinement against Terrorism (Cecot) in El Salvador, which houses 40,000 inmates.
However, Ortega didn’t stop at the numbers. For him, the real problem lies in corruption, which, he asserts, has reached unprecedented levels under the Chaves administration.
“That will be the legacy of Pilar Cisneros Gallo and Rodrigo Chaves,” the Frente Amplio party leader declared.
End immunity
Furthermore, Ortega asked President Chaves to renounce his immunity.
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Less than ten months before the 2026 presidential elections, Attorney General Carlo Díaz filed a criminal complaint against the President for the alleged crime of extortion, a criminal offense that establishes a prison sentence ranging from two to eight years for offenders and seeks to punish officials who, abusing their functions, force or induce someone to improperly deliver or promise an asset or financial benefit, whether for themselves or a third party.
In this case, the prosecutor’s office accuses Chaves of allegedly asking for “a little affection” of US$32,000 for Federico Cruz, a former presidential advisor and personal friend of the president.
The money would be part of a communications contract between the State, a private company, and the CABEI, for US$400,000 to pay Christian Bulgarelli and the company RMC La Productora S.A.
Bulgarelli is the prosecution’s crown witness, meaning that in exchange for immunity, he would testify to prove the alleged corruption of the president and Jorge Rodríguez, Minister of Culture and former head of Communications.
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